


Families and Fairytales

by SilverSerenity



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Age Difference, Cannibalism, Kidnapping, Multi, Post-Episode: s03e13 The Wrath of the Lamb, Threesome - F/M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-04
Updated: 2016-07-16
Packaged: 2018-05-31 04:05:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 52,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6454957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverSerenity/pseuds/SilverSerenity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a year of lying low and letting the world believe them to be dead Hannibal and Will start looking for a permanent residence in London, only for a girl to fall right into Hannibal's hands. Will can't help but be enamored, and Hannibal wants someone to mold. A companion for both of them. The trick will be getting her to go along with it while keeping their new, precious, teacup from shattering.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Potential

Will frowned as he watched some poor unfortunate girl stumble into Hannibal. She couldn’t be out of her teens just yet, and as he moved closer he could hear her tripping over her apology as well. He watched a warm glow seep into her cheeks as Hannibal touched her shoulder, and assured her everything was alright. It made Will pause in his journey over to them. Was she blushing because she was embarrassed, or because she actually liked the smile Hannibal was giving her?

Hannibal’s eyes were practically alight as he looked down at the girl, and Will wanted to see what he saw. He could already see from the girl’s point of view whether it be embarrassment or being charmed by Lecter. Her short, dark hair was a mix of waves and curls, just a little less wild than his own. Her skin spoke of time in the sun, and her brown eyes seemed to add to her warm cozy look. She definitely came from somewhere warmer than London. When his eyes came from her he found Hannibal grinning at him, but before she could turn to look at him as well a woman scurried up ushering her away towards a group of other young girls. Moving over to Hannibal Will gave the girl a crooked smile when he noticed she turned to look back at them. She smiled shyly at him in return.

When she turned away walking off with, no doubt, the mother of the girl whining the loudest, and her other friends Will frowned, asking, “You’re not thinking of having her for dinner are you?”

“She was very polite,” Hannibal told him with a wicked grin. Then he gripped his shoulder and leaned in saying just for Will, “I’d like her at the table, as opposed to on it.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better,” Will sighed as Hannibal started to lead them towards the elevators. Now he knew what Hannibal saw in that girl.

Potential.

Maybe Hannibal had noticed her even before this.

Maybe Hannibal had timed it so she’d run into him, just so he could have a closer look at her.

“No _Hector_ I don’t suppose that would make you feel better,” Hannibal chuckled, using the name he’d picked for Will for this particular trip. His own was Victor for now, and being brothers they shared the last name Faust, the only thing Will had been allowed to contribute to their names.

oOo

“I can’t believe you ran into that guy!” Anya nearly shrieked she was giggling so hard.

“I didn’t mean to,” Nina sighed as she looked down at the carpet under them as they walked, “I was trying to catch up and I tripped. I was trying to go around him. I felt so bad.”

“Oh don’t worry darling,” Emily’s mom Ms. J insisted as she patted her on the back, “I heard him say it was alright. It was just an accident.”

“You were blushing an awful lot Nina!” Emily boasted dancing around in front of them as they made their way towards their room. They had a whole four-bedroom suite together as a graduation present, and her mother had been picked as chaperone since she was the only one with vacation time left over after all the other breaks during the school year.

“Nina’s always had a thing for _men_ instead of _boys_!” Helen teased even as she threw her arms around Nina while they paused in front of their door.

Nina tried to stammer out something, but thankfully the attention was taken off her when the door was opened and the others all pushed into the room. It was huge and luxurious, and Nina hoped it’d be enough to make sure they really forgot about what happened.


	2. Afternoon Tea

“I’m dying!”

“It _hurts_!”

“Bleeeh!”

“You just don’t want to come to the afternoon tea with me,” Nina sighed eyeing her friends sprawled out in the living room of their suite. Ms. J had left them for the spa saying she wanted some alone time. They were to stay on the hotel grounds when she wasn’t with them though.

“It’s just tea…” Emily whined flailing around onto her back.

Nina bit the inside of her cheek. She really wanted to go, but she didn’t like to be alone out of her element… “You guys said…” Nina started, but Anya gave an exasperated sigh, cutting her off. Nina closed her eyes for a second before she opened them saying shortly, “Nevermind. I’ll just go by myself.” Helen looked like she was ready to give in and go anyway, but Nina stopped her, “I’ll just take a book.”

After that she got said book and left the room with her head down. They’d been friends a long time, all of them, but sometimes Nina still felt like an outsider. She’d followed them around for three hours shopping with the hope that they’d sit down together after. Sure Nina had gotten a few things, but she certainly didn’t need three hours of shopping. She made her way to the dining room stewing over it. “They could have sat with me for a half hour…not even,” Nina mumbled to the ground, “It’s not like drinking tea and having little cakes is some vexing orde-al!” Nina yelped as she collided with yet another person. Her eyes flew up and much to her horror the very same man she’d bumped into yesterday was turning to look at her. “Oh no! I’m so sorry I keep doing this! I didn’t mean to… I should look where I’m going.” She was going to go hide under a rock somewhere, because this time the other man she’d seen him with was there looking down at her as well, and he looked less than pleased.

“Don’t be sorry, he stopped in front of you on purpose,” Will said giving Hannibal a dirty look. He knew exactly what was about to happen, but there was really no way to stop Hannibal at this point. Maybe he could ward off the girl, but…

“I apologize, but I couldn’t help but overhear what you were saying, and you don’t seem to be having a good day,” Hannibal explained. “Perhaps you’d care to join me and my brother for tea. He tends to find these sorts of things vexing, as you put it, but he tolerates them for me. Maybe, you could help him find some enjoyment in it.”

“I… I wouldn’t want to impose…” Nina said looking between the two men. “I’m not really that great at conversation, and I’d probably just… sit there awkwardly.”

“Nonsense,” Hannibal said motioning for her to follow them. When he started walking they both trailed behind him obediently and he insisted, “Besides Hector isn’t good at socializing either, I’ll do the ordering and you both can be content in the knowledge that you won’t actually have to talk to anyone.”

“Except you, _Victor_ ,” Will insisted as he watched the girl fiddle with the book in her hands from the corner of his eye. Poor kid. He should really tell her to run for it, or make some kind of fuss to scare her off…

“Except me,” Hannibal agreed as they got to the hostess, “Three.”

oOo

“Oh, right, my name is Nina,” she said once the man she knew as Victor ordered for them, and “Hector” asked.

“And you’re here on holiday with your friends?” Hannibal asked as he turned his full attention to her after handing over the menu to the waiter.

“It’s a graduation present from our parents,” Nina nodded. “They’re more here for shopping though. Site seeing as long as it’s interesting enough. Ms. J will probably make them go to a couple museums, though.”

“But not you?” Will asked tilting his head.

“She wouldn’t be making me. I like museums.” Nina said as she shrugged a little. “They’re quiet, usually they’re not too crowded.”

“You seem very different from your friends,” Hannibal mentioned watching Nina glancing between them, and Will trying not to stare at her too much. Hannibal knew Will was trying not to be interested in her, but he was, it was too late.

“We’ve been friends since we were little, but children are all more alike when they’re four,” Nina explained setting her book on the table so she’d stop fidgeting with it. “My friends are all very boisterous, and I went along with their plans. I cheered Emily on in sports, and supported Anya and Helen in theater… you can take a notebook pretty much anywhere. I just wrote when I could, because that’s my hobby.”

Will frowned.

She’d follow Hannibal too if he could get her to bond with them, and that’s what he was doing. He doubted her friends cheered her on as enthusiastically as she had them, and it was just one more thing Hannibal could exploit. He’d support her writing, cultivate it even, right along with instilling his own hobbies in her. 

“You didn’t follow them this time,” Hannibal pointed out.

To others it might appear that Hannibal was trying to point out her own bravery, to Will this was Hannibal preparing to drive a wedge between her and her friends.

“They’re just sitting upstairs,” Nina sighed. “Probably watching TV and going through the new things they got. In a little bit they’ll get bored and find something else to do. I did what they wanted me to do, now I’m doing what I want, even if they didn’t want to do it with me.”

“It’s important to have your own identity,” Will said looking at her fully, catching her eye.

oOo

“Did you dream of princes in shining armor as a child?” Will asked with a huff. “Waiting for true loves kiss?”

“No,” Nina snorted as she set down her cup of tea. “Even when I was little my dreams weren’t very nice. Now that I’m older I think it’d just make me angry. I wouldn’t want to just fall into the arms of some guy in a white hat, just because he showed up after the hard part. Girls who are waiting for their knights are waiting for a quick fix. Some witch has a huntsman chase _the girl _through the forest to take her heart, only to spare her, so said witch comes and poisons the girl herself. Then a prince shows up at the end with the cure, and just expects her to ride off into the sunset with him. I don’t think so.” Nina huffed herself, eying Will out of the corner of her eye, “I’d have more of a connection with the huntsman. At least there was interaction.”__

__Hannibal smiled as Nina and Will went at it. They’d sat there silently until he’d brought up writing again, and steered it to fairytales. Now they’d taken over on their own. Will had perceived her warm appearance for that of the average girl wanting a nice safe fairytale to live in. Nina wanted no part of that vision, and it _bothered_ Will. Hannibal suspected that Will had wanted a reason to scare her off, but Nina was not exactly wearing rose colored glasses._ _

__“The huntsman was going to kill the girl,” Will insisted almost desperately._ _

__“He didn’t though,” Nina said giving him a smile that had his eyes widening. Seeing his reaction Nina felt heat rush to her face and looked back down at her plate insisting, “The prince at the end is just bad story telling. Flesh it out and the huntsman felt something, even if it was just platonic, and spared the girl. That has the potential for some sort of relationship, some sort of bond. Love at first site is a sham. There has to be a reason or it’s all going to fall apart, at very least people are going to poke holes in your plot.”_ _

__“She has a point Hector,” Hannibal said before taking a sip of tea. “Even if the huntsman was going to kill her, he didn’t, and who’s to say the prince has good intentions towards the fair maiden either.”_ _

__Will sighed, “Better the evil you know.”_ _

__“In all matters of opinion, our adversaries are insane,” Nina quoted before she noticed how intent they started looking at her. Then she ducked her head insisting, “Just like beauty, evil is in the eye of the beholder, and you can’t find the evil you know that evil if you’re willing to stay.”_ _


	3. The Importance of Family

“Thank you both for letting me sit with you,” Nina said as they paused outside of the dining room.

“It was our pleasure,” Hannibal smiled at the teen, and noticed that Will even gave his own wobbly smile. “Hopefully we can share a table again during our stays.”

“I would like that,” Nina nodded, hugging her book to her chest so she had something to do with her hands, other than fidget. She didn’t ask, but she did wonder if they’d be down for tea tomorrow too. She doubted she’d get anyone to join her then either. She wanted to say something to stay in their company even for just a few more moments, but she found Helen coming towards her, calling her name. “I’m sorry, I hope we get to talk again,” Nina said before hurrying off towards her friend.

Will watched her go before he looked towards Hannibal pleadingly, “We have to leave that girl alone.” That girl didn’t deserve this. _This_ being them uprooting her from whatever nice, safe, life she led back home.

“But you did enjoy today’s tea,” Hannibal said as they started to head for the elevators, “You enjoyed spending time with her. Dare I say she even made you feel hopeful that we could be the evil she knew.”

“She’s nothing like Abigail,” Will hissed.

“No,” Hannibal said glaring at Will, “That teacup is not going to come together again.” After a slow breath Hannibal smiled though, “Nina is all shiny and new however, and capable of holding both of our knowledge because no one has been using her before.” She would be a charming companion for the both of them. Will and Nina could share their imaginations, while he and Nina could share what those imaginations produced, writing, music, _art_.

“Until we start to chip away at her,” Will insisted as he moved to stand in Hannibal’s way, “then she’ll start leaking…” he left it unsaid, but just like he had started to when Hannibal had first started playing in his head.

“I’ll be more careful with her,” Hannibal conceded before he met Will’s gaze evenly, “She’s just as much for me, as she is for you.”

“And, Abigail wasn’t?” Will asked his look hardening, though he did look around to make sure no one was paying them any mind. This wasn’t the first time they argued about Abigail and it wouldn’t be the last. It was not the time to draw attention though.

“I already had both of you, you and Abigail were for each other,” Hannibal explained as he coaxed Will into continuing their journey. “You both felt used, and I thought you two would be able to comfort each other. It didn’t work out that way, I couldn’t have both of you, but now I have just as much to gain or lose as you.”

Will held it in until they were on the elevator alone. Then he growled, “Whose throat are you going to cut if you can’t have me _and_ Nina? Mine or hers?”

Hannibal looked at Will for a long moment before he sighed, “It would depend.”

“We were discussing the wrong fairytale, Little Red Riding Hood is more appropriate,” Will snapped. He was agitated that he couldn’t find a way to stop this. Worse Hannibal would insist he just wouldn’t find a way.

“You’re just as much a wolf as me now,” Hannibal chuckled as he eyed their reflections in the metal of the elevator doors.

Will knew, but he didn’t say it, just held Hannibal’s gaze in their reflection. He could no longer pretend to be the one being led from the path. Of all of them Nina was the only one who could even see the path.

oOo

“Did you run into him again?” Helen asked as they walked through the hotel towards the withdrawing room. At least that’s what the hotel said it was, it was basically a room with a lot of arm chairs and sofas. Helen said she was sorry for being stubborn, and insisted that they at least have a drink together.

“Sort of,” Nina admitted, but decided not to say exactly how she ended up at the table with them. Only Helen didn’t look satisfied with that answer. “He and his brother were at the table next to mine, and when they realized I was alone they asked if I’d like to sit with them.” Nothing had happened, they hadn’t talked about anything indecent, and Helen would already be compelled to tell the others. That seemed a more innocent way to end up at their table. “I think they were just being polite.” She wasn’t sure why that part felt like a lie too, but it did.

“What did you guys talk about?” Helen asked, surprised, “or did you just sit there while they talked?”

“We talked about writing and literature,” Nina shrugged. “They were very nice. I was thanking them when you walked over.”

oOo

“Oh my god what are you doing here?!” Ms. J squealed in delight when a man in jeans and a button up walked up to them in the lobby the next day. Emily had been very particular about them getting downstairs at this time and now Nina knew why. She didn’t actually have any interest in the Tower of London, and now neither did her mother. Nina knew immediately that Emily had just effectively gotten rid of her mother so they could do whatever they wanted…

“I came to spend time with you,” Tony, her boyfriend, insisted pulling a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. “I’m just about to check in.”

Through her excitement, even as she took the flowers Ms. J tried to be responsible. “I’m supposed to be watching the girls, though.”

“They’re all eighteen, they can take care of themselves,” Tony insisted as Nina watched Emily hang on every word. Anya and Helen had both figured it out as well, and they seemed just as interested. “They’ll check in every night with us, we’ll have a meal together every day to make sure we see each other, go sightseeing together every now and then. The hotel provides car services, or they can take a bus together if they want to see something themselves.”

There was a long pause. Then it happened. Ms. J gave in. She turned to look at them insisting, “If I ever call any of you I expect you to pick up immediately or I’m moving back into the room with you four. If you leave the hotel, it can’t be alone, and I expect a call. Are we understood?”

They all agreed.

“Let’s all meet for dinner tonight,” Tony suggested hooking an arm around Ms. J.

“Oh we were supposed to go to the Tower of London…” Ms. J breathed looking to the girls.

“Oh we can skip that!” Emily insisted. “We’ll just go do something different. Tony can come with us a different day; we’ll all do it together.”

…And just like that Nina was positive she wasn’t going to see any of London except the shopping district and clubs they had no business being in… While her friends were filling with excitement Nina was filling with dread despite the smile she put on because everyone else looked so happy.

“Then we’ll see you girls at dinner!” Tony said leading Ms. J off towards the front desk.

“Where should we go instead?!” Anya asked excitedly.

Nina didn’t even bother to put in a suggestion. None of hers would be picked, she’d just try to side with whoever picked the least stressful activity. Her eyes journeyed off to the side just in time to see the two brothers leaving the hotel… They were probably going somewhere historic, and beautiful…

“I think we should play it safe and just go shopping again, after your mom’s guard is down we can try something more adventurous,” Helen suggested after both Emily and Anya suggested merely waiting for it to get dark and finding somewhere to club hop. “Or I’m sure Nina knows somewhere interesting we could go to loiter to get your mom’s guard down. If she thinks we’re just going sightseeing all the time she won’t have reason to question us later. After all we have two weeks to do stuff like that.”

Nina focused back on that. “We could go to the Globe Theatre,” Nina said jumping on Helen’s idea, cutting off whatever Emily had been trying to get in edgewise. Helen and Anya would at least be tempted by the theatre. They’d talked about going there when they were planning the trip. Four years of taking theatre, and Helen going to college for it the, so theatre was something she could get them to see with her.

“My mom wants to go there too, we should wait to do it with her and Tony,” Emily sighed when she saw that Helen and Anya actually wanted to do that. She wouldn’t shoot down something the others all wanted to do completely, but her mom had given her an excuse not to do it today.

“How about historic shopping?” Anya asked grabbing onto Nina’s arm excitedly. “Best of both worlds. We’ll enjoy shopping, and you’ll enjoy… history…?”

Nina smiled a bit at that. Anya liked to please everyone. She’d of course come up with the best plan. Nina thought about all the things she looked up before suggesting, “How about the Old Spitalfields Market? It’s old, but it’s big and popular.”

“We could go back up to the room and get our backpacks, and have the butler they gave us help set it up. He’s been dying for us to need him for something.” Emily said with a huge grin. “How about one of the parks tomorrow?”

Nina nodded. She probably should have suggested what Emily would have enjoyed. Open spaces and long walks. A place for her to stretch her legs, even though shopping had apparently wiped her out yesterday. Emily got her way a lot of the time, she should have spun it to make her happy. Still at least they’d get to see a couple of parks on their stay, “Hyde park is in walking distance… Or maybe Kensington…”

They made their way back to the room planning all the way. It gave Nina the confidence to suggest some of the things she wanted to do, and was happy that they liked some of the idea’s. The aquarium and the zoo were easier to pitch than the museums though…

oOo

Will sighed as Hannibal talked with the realtor about this and that. They’d kept the appointment but both of them knew if they took Nina they wouldn’t be able to stay in London. It was a shame, the house was nice and could have afforded them both their own space, Will could have even rescued a dog from a shelter… Maybe they could stay in the UK if Nina was willing to go with them, but even then it wasn’t likely. Italy was out of the question after Hannibal simultaneously hung and disemboweled that officer. Hannibal wouldn’t go back to Lithuania, and America was big, but even a year later it was too soon. It wouldn’t do for them to be found alive. Not to mention Nina would no doubt be all over the news when she “went missing.”

Moving through the second floor Will wondered where they’d go instead. Hannibal spoke a host of different languages, and would take to teaching them any language their surroundings required. Still he hoped they’d go somewhere English was widely spoken. Hannibal would teach them, but for a while Hannibal would revel in them needing him for everything outside their door. Not to mention he would no doubt make sure they were dependent on each other before he taught them more than hello…

He wondered if Nina caught his eye because she resembled them. Her curls could be his, and her eyes Hannibal’s. They’d look enough alike that no one would question them no matter what tale they weaved. She could be Hannibal’s daughter, and they were brothers, if their father had been feisty and remarried they could all be siblings…

He smiled a bit out the window. It wouldn’t be the truth. Nina liked to tell stories he wondered if Hannibal would let her make theirs one day. Give them all new names, a background. She’d be good at it. He’d no longer be the fool that thought he killed Achilles.

“Thinking happy thoughts?” Hannibal asked as he walked up next to Will.

“Not happy exactly…” Will said looking to Hannibal, then over his shoulder to where the relator was looking a little put out. “So you explained we wouldn’t be taking the house.”

“Family is important,” Hannibal said with a smile.


	4. Doing Things You Shouldn't

“I’m going to go down to tea,” Nina said as she walked out of her room in the new dress she’d bought, and just for good measure, with her book in hand. Going to the market had been fun at first, but towards the end it had been a lot to handle. Even if she was sure she’d had enough of people Nina still wanted to see if she could sit with the brothers again. Just so she didn’t seem too eager to go alone she still asked, “Does anyone want to come with?”

Anya and Emily shook their heads “no thanks” leaving them at the same time. Anya squealed out “ _Jinx!_ ” happily making Nina shake her head at her antics. Helen on the other hand asked, “Will you be okay alone? You got real jittery at the market.”

“I’ll be able to handle ordering,” Nina nodded. If the brothers weren’t there she’d order and then promptly stick her nose in her book and call it a day. Hopefully they weren’t just being polite telling her to sit with them… Then she really would be imposing on their time. “You don’t have to come if you don’t feel like it.”

“If you get nervous just call, I’ll come down and sit with you,” Helen smiled encouragingly. However, they both knew Nina would never call her even if she did get overwhelmed. Nina would just come slinking back all the while trying to hold in her anxiety.

“Thanks,” Nina still nodded.

oOo

Hannibal had noticed Nina’s little group leaving when they were, and he wondered if they were back. Will was fidgeting as they stood together. He’d suggested they have a seat, but Will wasn’t having it. He’d taken to this idea faster and better than he could have hoped, now they just had to lure in Nina.

It wasn’t hard to tell the exact moment Will saw Nina. His eyes dilated and his smile turned admittedly goofy. Unable to help himself Hannibal turned to see just what Will was seeing. His eyes probably dilated too, though he resisted the urge to make a face like Will’s. She was not wearing the jeans and T-shirt she’d been wearing this morning. She wore a white dress that sat off her shoulders the long sleeves sheer from the elbow down with floral lace patterns. The rest of the material was just thick enough not to be see through, and she’d belted it at the waist just enough to show the flare of her hips. It stopped about mid-thigh making her look leggy despite being shorter than Will by more than a few inches. Hannibal stored this picture of her away, it’s how he wanted to see her in his minds’ eye.

When Nina noticed them she smiled changing her course. “Hello,” she said smiling up at them almost shyly when she stopped in front of them.

Will’s voice seemed to be held captive so Hannibal smiled saying, “Hello Nina. You’re looking quite lovely today.”

She blushed, and she knew she blushed. “Thank you,” Nina said trying not to deny his compliment, though she wanted to. She felt awkward in the dress and her boots, like she didn’t belong, but she had wanted to look at least almost as nice as they had yesterday. Hopefully she'd at least look like she belonged.

Hannibal looked to Will expectantly, compelling him speak, “You do look very nice.”

Not use to being complimented, and having already reached her limit for dealing with new things, it slipped out this time, “It’s just that you both dress so nicely… and I figured if we did sit together today…” She wanted to fit in.

“Well I think you’re more than appropriately dressed for the occasion,” Hannibal told her as he reached out to grip her upper arm comfortingly, his thumb brushing over her bare shoulder.

“You brought a book though,” Will said when he noticed it, and to stop himself from reaching out and touching Nina as well. Just because Hannibal got to touch her didn't mean he had to...

“I didn’t know if you’d really want to sit together again, or if you two would even be here,” Nina said suddenly finding her shoes very interesting. “If I was going to be alone I needed something to ward off others.”

“Of course we want you to sit with us,” Will insisted almost forcefully.

“We wouldn’t have offered if we hadn’t meant it,” Hannibal said as he smiled at Nina, before finally letting her go. Then he turned and started to lead them toward the dining room Will falling into step with her.

“We’ll sit with you every time we can make it,” Will said as he reached out to touch her back, but he stopped at the last second. He removed his hand so quickly it found its way behind his own back.

“Thank you,” Nina said more easily then when they were complimenting her.

oOo

Nina tried to avoid looking directly at Helen when she walked back in to their suite. She hadn’t told the others about yesterday, but she had suggested she not sit with them again. Helen brought up some valid points. How she didn’t know them, and how even if they seemed nice they might have ulterior motives. It was all true, and she knew that, but...

They hadn’t suggested she go anywhere with them.

It’s not like they were going to take her in the middle of a crowded hotel. She just wouldn't go anywhere with them except to have tea in the dining room...

Only it became immediately apparent why her friends weren’t paying her any mind. They were all scheming themselves.

“Come on we should go tonight!” Emily said as Nina made it away from the door and into their sight.

“I thought we weren’t doing that until your mom’s guard is down!” Nina insisted as her eyes widened. She hadn’t wanted to go at all, but tonight was way too soon!

“Tony said he’d cover for us! Keep my mom busy!” Emily smiled slyly. “She’s not going to be calling on us tonight after dinner. We go down to dinner and then we come up and get changed. Tony said he’d text when we could go, and then we’ll text him back when we come back to the hotel.”

Nina wanted to ask if that was even remotely true, but thought better of it.

“If that text doesn’t come I’m not going Emily, I wanna see it,” Helen said taking care of it for her.

“You’ve got Tony’s number, you can even check and make sure it’s coming from him!” Emily insisted.

This was going to happen…

Nina tried to tell herself she didn’t have to go.

“You’re going to come too, right Nina?” Anya asked. “You’ve even been going downstairs without someone. You should have a little more fun!”

Helen looked right at Nina at that. They both knew she wasn’t alone yesterday, and Nina could see it in her eyes she knew she wasn’t alone today either. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Helen told her quickly.

“She has to! Nina needs to get out of her shell!” Emily said, leaving no room for argument. “Besides if we do get caught somehow we might as well all be in trouble, and she might as well have some fun.”

“You know Nina doesn’t find this kind of thing fun,” Helen tried to argue anyway.

“Come on Nina tell Helen you want to come with us!” Anya chirped.

Nina felt like her chest was constricting. She felt like all the air was being sucked out of the room. She knew it wasn’t, it just felt that way because she was about to do something she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to do this. She knew she wasn’t going to get out of it though. Anya and Emily would try to guilt her into it soon, and then Emily would resort to bullying her into it… It wasn’t like she’d have to do anything… She’d just go, and stand against a wall somewhere… Not to mention they’d probably get drunk. Someone would have to look after them… “I’ll go.”

Helen sucked in a breath, “You don’t have to.”

“I’ll make sure we all make it home in one piece,” Nina told them. “Going isn’t going to change my dislike for alcohol. I’ll try to have some fun, but I’m not going to drink that much.” They’d taken her to parties before and Nina had long since figured out that beer and the like tasted vile.

“Well, at least you’re agreeing to come,” Emily sighed, still not entirely pleased.

“It’s better than nothing!” Anya insisted, ever the optimist of the group.

oOo

Dinner had been terrible. Ms. J had gone to the bathroom and Tony had basically told them they’d get to go out “no problems.” Nina had shrunk in on herself which led to Emily kicking her in the shin. Her back straightened out just in time for Ms. J to come back. Nina spent the rest of the meal realizing that she had cut Emily off from telling them earlier this would happen. She’d gone through the trouble of trying to distract them for nothing. This was always going to be the end result.

Then they went back upstairs and Nina stared at the small closet in her room that she’d put most of her clothes in. Only she didn’t need to dwell on what she was wearing, Emily walked by insisting, “You put on that little black dress immediately.”

Sighing Nina slipped out of the white dress Victor and Hector had liked so much and slid on the black one. It was fitted at the top with spaghetti straps, and flared out at the hips. While it was probably just as long… short as the white dress it made Nina want to tug at the hem because somehow it was just different.

“Put on those ankle boots!” Helen shouted from her room.

“I can dress myself!” Nina shouted back at them indignantly.

“Do it!” Helen hollered.

Nina didn’t say anything, but she did as she was told…

Once everyone was ready they headed downstairs and Nina immediately felt naked. She wanted to go back upstairs but she also didn’t want her friends to think her a complete coward. Instead, she kept her head down and followed her friends out to the taxi they’d called. In doing so she missed Hannibal and Will who had been coming back to the hotel…

Will clung to Hannibal’s arm when he saw the girls. Hannibal clicked his tongue taking note of the license plate of the cab before he quickly walked back and stopped the valet from taking their car. He frantically patted down his pockets saying he must have forgotten his phone at the restaurant. Will was already getting in, and Hannibal quickly followed him. Once they pulled away Hannibal heard Will mutter, “ _teenagers_ ” under his breath like it was the dirtiest of curse words.

“We’ll keep an eye on her,” Hannibal tried to sooth Will, but more muttering followed anyway.


	5. Falling Down the Rabbit Hole

“She belongs in that white dress in the dining room of the hotel,” Will nearly growled as they stayed out of sight of the girls, especially Nina. It wasn’t hard with the teens in their own world, but if Nina saw them she’d definitely recognize them.

“What if she was here with us?” Hannibal asked as he sipped at the most expensive cognac this dismal little club had. It was bearable at least.

“She wouldn’t be here with us,” Will snapped against his glass of whiskey. His eyes followed her as she danced with her friend, Helen. She had been staying away from the bulk of the people, but Helen had brought her over and pulled her into a dance.

“You wouldn’t bring her here if she asked?” Hannibal looked at Will before his eyes moved back to where Nina was. Will was silent for quite a while, so Hannibal answered for him, “You would, and you would bring her in that very same dress, and you would be very proud to have her on your arm knowing you were the only one that would be allowed to touch her.”

Will finished off his whiskey in one slug, before saying, “You wouldn’t bring her here even if she asked as nicely as you pleased. You’d take her somewhere sure, but not _here_.”

“I would not,” Hannibal said with a slight sneer as he glanced balefully around the building once more. After a moment though, he took a breath and changed his mind, “Unless it was for the right reason, but perhaps it is to her benefit that we’ll both be taking care of her. What one of us won’t offer her the other surely will, within reason.”

Will’s eyes hardened as he witnessed what happened next, insisting, “She shouldn’t be here without us.”

Nina jolted when a man slid his hand along her back trying to get her to dance with him instead of Helen. She tried to move away, but Helen kept her in place, and with a well-executed nod got the man to slide behind Nina fully. His hands rested on her hips and she wanted to swat them away, but she didn’t. She tried to push closer to Helen but the man just came in closer, seemingly unaware that there was a war raging in Nina’s mind.

It didn’t take very long before Nina was done and she pushed away from both of them. Helen called after her, but didn’t put up much of a fight when the man decided to dance with her instead. Nina made it over to the bar just in time to watch Emily throw back a shot and giggle at something that a boy only a little older than them said. She brushed at her hips and the skirt of her dress like that would take away the feeling of someone she didn’t know touching her. It didn’t, but she still turned looking for Anya.

When she couldn’t find her Nina moved around the outside of the dancefloor slipping by men who tried to entice her into dancing with them. Her eyes moved frantically over the crowd, only to stop when she saw Anya coming from a back corner. Probably from the bathroom. Her breathing came easier at least. Nina still didn’t want to be here any longer, but she knew none of her friends were even close to being finished. It’d been a grand total of a half hour, but she was already done.

Going back towards the bar Nina decided she just sit, and wait it out.

Nina sat down with a frown on one of the barstools. When asked by the bartender if she wanted something Nina asked for a water. The bartender nodded “designated driver” dropping from his lips. It wasn’t particularly true, but Nina didn’t dispute it. A few moments later though a different bartender behind the bar set a drink down in front of her with a grin.

“From the gentleman with the baseball cap over there,” he said nodding towards the man.

“Wha- no th…” Nina didn’t get to send it back as the bartender walked away from her.

Nina eyed it warily, before she glanced at the guy in his late twenties that sent it to her. After a moment he shrugged and moved away from the bar, but not towards her. It was red, the drink. Something with cranberry juice in it maybe… She looked around to see if she could see the guy, and when she couldn’t, she decided it couldn’t hurt to try some. It had the taste of alcohol, it wasn’t completely disguised with cranberry juice, but it was bearable…

At least her friends wouldn’t be able to accuse her of not trying anything new.

oOo

Will was practically crawling out of his skin, but Hannibal held him back. They’d seen that bartender spike her drink. They could see the guy who ordered it lingering just out of Nina’s view. Will knew they wouldn’t let anything happen to her, but he couldn’t stand just watching her drink that. He had to turn away, letting Hannibal watch her while she drank it, waiting for it to have some sort of affect. Hannibal’s hand rested on his shoulder, squeezing slightly when he would tense, wanting to move.

Watch her Hannibal did. Nina took her time drinking it, and he kept an eye on the time so he’d have an idea of which drug he was looking for. When she finished off the glass she even sat there for a while more. Probably a good old fashioned roofie. He could see the confusion on her face as she got up, and he could tell her body wasn’t doing exactly as she was telling it. She moved carefully around to where the bathroom was, and he watched the man who’d ordered her drugged drink trail after her. “Now, we can help,” Hannibal said as he started in the same direction. Will followed after him as they moved through the crowd quickly.

They made it into the hall just as an exit out the back of the hall closed. Hannibal stopped Will from bursting through the door, and instead looked out himself. He could hear Nina struggling with her words just as she struggled with the man.

Slipping out they moved after them, and Will snarled out, “Mine.”

The hunting knife Will had would do just as good of a job as the harpy that Hannibal had. He knew Will was being possessive, but Hannibal could take care of Nina too. He had plans to come back for the bartender, after all he’d had the time to imagine many an end to that man, but it would have to come second to taking care of Nina. 

Hannibal let Will stalk after the man hurting their girl as he looked up and down the alley to make sure no one would catch them. No one was down the back of the buildings though, and looking back towards the ensuing sounds of a scuffle he found Will taking his time with it. Perhaps he’d pummel the man to death, but maybe the cutting would come with time.

Walking passed the squabble Hannibal kneeled down in front of Nina as she sat against the wall of the building. She was upset and confused until she saw him, then her mood brightened considerably. He smiled indulgently when she beamed up at him and reached for him. He let her clumsily clutch at one of his arms as he leaned in to look into her eyes, his free hand lifting her chin. “Nina do you think you can stand?” Hannibal asked looking down at the bloody scratches on her thighs, her skirt bunched up and just barely covering her.

Hannibal watched as she tried to work her mouth, but she gave up and just tried to stand instead. He let her use him to brace herself, standing with her, but when her feet started to slide out from under her he gathered her into his arms and straightened the rest of the way. He could hear some sad noises bubbling up from her and crooned against her hair, “It’s okay. Will is going to make sure there is no reason for nightmares.”

“Wh-who?” Nina stammered against his chest grasping him harder. Somewhere in the back of her mind the thought that she was ruining his suit fluttered around, but she didn’t know what to do.

“Right, _Hector_ ,” Hannibal smiled against her as he turned so he could see Will, but she could not. “ _Hector_ is going to make it all better.” She tumbled over her words, trying to apologize, but Hannibal hushed her, rubbing her back before lifting her up into his arms. “Will it’s time to go.”

Will snarled realizing the man beneath him was dead. At some point he’d smashed his head against the pavement, blood pooling around him. His head was sitting at an awkward angle. Maybe he’d done it more than once… “I’m not done,” Will growled like one of his dogs might have when you attempted to take a steak bone from them. Hannibal of all people had to know that there was more that could be done to a body once it was dead.

“Nina tell Hector we need him to come with us,” Hannibal told her as he jostled her a bit to keep her awake. Will looked at them very intently after he said that. She whimpered against Hannibal, and he hummed to her, “Say please Nina.”

“Please… please come with us,” Nina mumbled into Hannibal’s chest when it seemed like the whole world started to spin.

“Damn it!” Will swore as he kicked the corpse in the side. “Fine.”

“Go get the car Will,” Hannibal said as he moved to let Will reach into his pocket to pull out the keys. “Pull it in front of the next building over, we’re going to have to lay her in the backseat and come back for the body.” It would draw too much attention for there to be a body. People would be suspicious if there was a murder and a missing teen at the same club.

oOo

Nina couldn’t remember getting in a car, but she was being held by Hannibal now in the back seat. She didn’t understand but Victor was Hannibal now, and Hector was Will… What they were talking about was so weird that she didn’t know how to put words to it. Every now and then she’d move though, and Hannibal would whisper nice things to her. He kept brushing her hands from her legs even though they were bothering her.

“She texts Helen the most, I’ll send her the message,” Hannibal explained as he started to type out the text with one hand, the other securely around Nina. He cleaned her thighs with some of the supplies from his bailout bag, but she kept trying to get at the wounds. When Nina moved around this time though, it was to look up at him and he grinned at her, saying, “Nina, we’re going to have to talk about where you keep your phone.”

Nina smiled sheepishly up at him, her face feeling very warm now. She had to wonder if he reached in her bra himself.

“She blushes,” Hannibal hummed, kissing the top of her head.

“How that must feed your ego,” Will muttered looking at them in the review.

“Oh she blushes for you too,” Hannibal scolded looking up at Will for a moment before he continued his message. Nina didn’t use that insufferable chat speak, and typing with just his thumb was taking a while. “We’ll take care of the problem in the trunk, get a new hotel, and deal with our old one. Then we’ll get to spend all the time we want with her. The police aren’t going to spend a lot of man hours on a teen that admitted to running away. They’ll insist she’ll make her way back when she runs out of money or when she’s supposed to go back to America. I doubt her picture will even make it on the local news.”

Nina furrowed her brows at that. She wasn’t running away…

Hannibal noticed her look and leaned down kissing her forehead saying, “We’ll be with you, and keep you safe. You won’t be alone with us.”

Nina pressed her face to his chest, not knowing what else to do other than to hide her embarrassment at how good that really did sound. She didn’t want to be alone anymore.

oOo

Hannibal told Nina to stay laying down, and she did. The drug had made her pliable, and he had the feeling she’d lay there all night if he didn’t tell her otherwise. Then he and Will set about doing what needed to be done. They couldn’t do up the body like Hannibal would have liked, but throwing the man away would have to do. They didn’t have the time, and some poor fool being thrown away in a back alley would only raise so many eyebrows. None of them important, none of them familiar with the Chesapeake Ripper or Il Monstro.

It would be far enough away that conclusions wouldn’t be drawn, at least not immediately. After shifting around the garbage there was a chance the man wouldn’t be noticed until trash collecting day. The bartender would know why this guy was in a dumpster, but they’d only have to worry if he didn’t care about implicating himself in supplying date-rape drugs. If they were lucky this wouldn’t even make the news. Just some other nameless nobody that got offed in a senseless act of violence.

“We should set him on fire,” Will huffed after they shut the lid.

“I would say yes, but that’s too flashy, let’s just get our girl somewhere to sleep,” Hannibal sighed turning and heading back to the car. The kill wasn’t satisfying, but having Nina was.

oOo

Nina stood next to Will now, not entirely sure when or how she’d made it out of the car, and leaned into him heavily as Hannibal talked to the person at the front desk of the hotel. If possible, this one was even nicer than the one they were staying in. They were only a few feet back, and Nina could hear the conversation.

“We’ve had quite the night, between lost luggage and lost reservations, at least the party was good,” Hannibal said conversationally as stood at the counter

“Well, we’ll be happy to have you, and your family, Dr. Faust,” The concierge said as she set up their, from the sound of it, very expensive room.

She’d been instructed not to say anything unless someone was speaking to her directly so Nina just looked up at Will at that. He smiled at her sheepishly, keeping her under his arm. Somehow they both had duffel bags with them; Will had one, Hannibal the other. She didn’t really know what to do but go along with this. She felt trapped in her own body.

“Your daughter looks so tired,” the woman said, concern laced through her voice.

“I’m afraid Alice might have enjoyed herself a little too much at the party,” Hannibal said with a conspiratorial smile to the woman as he signed the receipt she produced.

That wasn’t her name.

Will pressed his lips to the top of her head hushing her quietly when she grumbled, though she made sure not to actually say anything. She must have seemed like she was indignant at being accused of being drunk, and Will must have just looked affectionate because the woman smiled and giggled a bit. Nina pressed her face to his side. She got the feeling that she was not to give them away under any circumstances… Nina really wanted to lay down, and that probably wouldn’t be in her future if she contradicted them.

“Well, everything is all set. Here’s your card and your I.D. I’ll have an attendant lead you right up to your suite,” the woman said with a smile as she handed Hannibal back his things.

oOo

This wasn’t a suite… it was an apartment!

Nina felt ready to collapse, which might have been why Will was holding onto her so tightly. Was she standing on her own? Why wouldn’t this over-titled bellhop leave? Nina gripped at Will’s jacket, tugging, wanting her questions answered, but unsure how to ask them. In all reality she wasn’t entirely sure anymore how they got here… or even where here was?

Was this their room?

Why had they checked back in to their own room?

Why wasn’t she in her room?

Eventually, after what felt like both forever and a second, the man left. Once the door was shut Hannibal walked over and looked her over. He seemed very focused and intent in his studying her, and she couldn’t help but smile at him. He looked very serious. After a second, though, he seemed to notice her smile because he suddenly grinned back at her giving her a wink.

That got a giggle out of her even though Nina could not remember ever giggling like that.

“I think we better get our little one to bed,” Hannibal chuckled up at Will who was even smiling a bit. Will’s smile widened when Nina grinned up at him nodding in agreement. Hannibal led them towards the room Nina would sleep in for the night, and moved over to the bed setting down his duffel. He produced a dark blue sweater, and motioned a bit to Will.

Will seemed hesitant at that, but after a moment moved behind Nina undoing the zipper of her dress, before sliding it from her shoulders. Nina frowned at that though trying to back pedal but her body wasn’t cooperating. Will stilled her and Hannibal whispered sweet nothings to her as he came closer. Then Will undid the strapless bra she wore, discarding it, before Hannibal coaxed her into his sweater…

Nina looked down at the sweater her hands ghosting over the material covering her belly.

That hadn’t been right, had it?

Nina tried to think about it, but she was instantly distracted as Hannibal leaned in kissing her cheek.

Time seemed to melt together after that. Them getting her into bed, and telling her goodnight. Them saying something about drugs, and hotels. She didn’t know what to do anymore. She just wanted it all to go away. She just wanted to wake up and this all be over. She just wanted them to have tea together…


	6. A Deal with the Devil

“It’s going to look suspicious if we don’t go back to the other hotel,” Hannibal insisted as they walked back into the living room of their new suite, leaving Nina to sleep off the drugs. “We’ll go back, wait till a little after eight and check out saying we decided to switch hotels to be closer to friends in the area.”

“Isn’t it going to be suspicious to leave after we just got here?” Will asked, even though he just didn’t want to leave Nina alone.

“No one is going to question us Will,” Hannibal sighed at him, “but if anyone does, we’ll say we’re going back out to another party,” he’d been coming up with this plan since he’d called the hotel to see if they had any vacancies, “we just didn’t want _Alice_ to try and keep up so we put her to bed. In the morning when we return, in the _unlikely_ event that we’re noticed, we’ll say we stayed with our friends, and leave the luggage in the car until we can provide Nina with fake luggage to say the airline found our things.”

“What about Nina,” Will asked purely to try to poke holes in Hannibal’s plans. He knew in all reality that no one was going to care one little bit about their comings and goings.

“We’ll leave Nina a note and your cell,” Hannibal said, not the least bit perplexed, “If she wakes up before we get back she can call us, and we’ll calm her down.”

“Threaten her,” Will accused looking at Hannibal sullenly.

“Both if need be,” Hannibal said with a light rise and fall of his shoulders. “She was very cooperative though. Perhaps she’ll continue to be without the drugs in her system.”

“She doesn’t like her name either,” Will huffed, just to be difficult, as Hannibal walked over to a little end table with a phone, notepad, and pen.

“She’ll have to forgive me, but she’s a little far down the rabbit hole at this point to argue whether or not she’s herself,” Hannibal said as he wrote his note. However, when he looked up Will didn’t seem very impressed with him so he relented a bit, and said, “We’ll discuss it when we move on. We’re probably going to have to change our identities as well, anyway.”

oOo

Hannibal and Will walked back into the first hotel without incident. No one but the night staff was around, and it was doubtful they were really noticed. The other girls either hadn’t noticed Nina’s text, or they were frantically trying to find her and hadn’t returned yet. In any case they went up to their room and started to pack since neither really wanted to sleep.

“What if she decides to use that phone to call the police instead?” Will asked with a glare as they moved the clothes from the closet and dresser back into their bags, “What if she just ignores it completely and goes down stairs saying she doesn’t remember how she got there?”

“You just want to go back, but in any case we’ll deal with it,” Hannibal insisted, and truthfully if it wouldn’t make them more suspicious to leave tonight instead of in the morning Hannibal would give in. If for some reason her friends didn’t believe the text they would be prime suspects, after taking her to tea. Leaving in the morning wouldn’t look much better, but it would look better nonetheless. When Will didn’t answer Hannibal told him, “She probably won’t wake up until well after we return anyway, and when she does she’s going to be in no condition to go anywhere at first. Even then she probably won’t remember anything that happened tonight. Any sign of police and we’ll just leave.”

“Is that why you had us undress her?” Will asked after watching Hannibal refold his clothes for a moment. “She wouldn’t remember.”

“I did that for purely selfish reasons,” Hannibal admitted shamelessly as he paused to look back at Will. He just wanted to see her, yes, but he did take note of her bruises, cuts, scrapes, and every pain he’d pay back to that bartender in her attacker’s stead. “It won’t make you feel better, but I would have done it even if she were sober.”

oOo

Nina was positive she was dying. She’d managed to sit up on her knees in the bed, the blanket just sliding down her back, but that was it. Her fingers pushed at her temples, and Nina felt like her head was going to explode. Her heart was racing in her chest, and this was definitely what dying felt like…

How could she feel like this and keep on living?

Looking around Nina almost hoped that one of her friends passed out in here with her, until she realized this was very much not her room in the hotel. The colors were wrong; the bed was different. Nina tried to get up but her body didn’t respond the way she wanted and she slid out of the bed crashing onto the floor. The carpet was even different! This wasn’t even the same hotel, if she was in a hotel at all!

The throbbing in her head worsened as panic settled in, and her racing heartbeat was even more painfully noticeable.

Nina looked around trying to remember how she got here. She didn’t know if calling out for help would even do anything for her. She didn’t know who would come running, or if they’d be running to help. She could remember going out with her friends, and sitting down at the bar, but there was nothing solid there after that. Just flashes of this and that. She looked around, but she couldn’t see anyone. There was a closed door in front of her, and a desk. Beside her was a hallway with an open door at the end, and a bedside table…

Crawling up onto her knees with the help of the bed Nina found a cellphone and a note. She picked up both, setting the phone on the bed as she slid back down onto her knees, she looked at the note first. She had to force herself to focus on the looping script, but she managed.

_Little One,_

_You are safe._

_We checked into this hotel last night, and we’ll be back before nine o’clock._

_Call the first number in the contacts when you wake up._

It was thankfully short but it didn’t make her feel safe. She was alone, but she was in a hotel. Maybe she should just leave to find someone who could help her. Pressing her forehead to the side of the bed Nina tried to ready herself to stand up without falling right back down. Only as she looked down at what she was wearing it felt like she couldn’t breathe. She wasn’t wearing her dress anymore. She was wearing a sweater that wasn’t hers.

Her shoes weren’t on her feet.

There were scratches on her thighs that were scabbing over.

Whimpering Nina looked around again, the clock also on the bedside table claimed 8:40 a.m. Not knowing what else to do Nina snatched up the phone. It was a simple little prepaid phone that didn’t even have a touchscreen. However, as she started to locate the contacts a door opened and Nina didn’t know what to do. Did she hide? Did she call out for help?

She didn’t really get to decide.

“Hannibal!” Will called him back as he headed to the living room to put down the things they’d gotten. A couple of outfits for the three of them, some things Hannibal insisted on, and a surprise for Nina.

Hannibal set the bags down on the couch and hurried back to the room. Will still stood in the doorway, unsure what to do for her. She was frozen to the spot, relief and panic warring for dominance on her features. He walked over slowly, and knelt down outside of her personal space. Hannibal even gave her a chance to speak first, but it became obvious she was waiting for him say something. He decided to start with her wellbeing, “Is it hard to control your motor functions?”

Nina gave a jerky little nod, only that made her cringe. It was like her brain was jostling around in her skull. “I fell off the bed trying to get out of it,” She supplied the reason she was on the floor. “The room spun…”

“What hurts?” Hannibal asked knowing something must have.

“My head, my legs, my heart feels like it’s going to implode,” Nina breathlessly listed off the reasons she felt like she was going to die. She wondered if she should bring up the fact that she didn’t belong here or wait for him to do it. There was more wrong… Maybe she should just tell him what was wrong. She was half positive she wasn’t going to live through this experience anyway. “It’s hard to breath, I could barely focus on the note… am I dying, or is this a panic attack?” Nina’s anxiety had never gotten that far, but she wondered if this was the tipping point.

“Think of it as the worst hangover you’re ever going to have,” Hannibal explained as he slid closer, taking her face carefully in his hands. He looked in her eyes, and garnered her attention all for himself for a moment. “I don’t know how much of last night you remember, but you went out with your friends, and accepted a drink at the bar. It was drugged, and these are the after effects of that drug. You’ll feel better as the day goes on, but the memory loss may be permanent.”

“What do you remember?” Will asked wondering if she remembered him pummeling her attacker to death. He stood behind Hannibal, and watched as he checked Nina over. The other man moved from her face to her legs, his fingers delicately tracing over the four lines on each outer thigh. The entire time he could see Nina becoming more uncomfortable by the second.

“I remember going out, and not wanting to be there… I remember…” Nina tried to concentrate but her head hurt too much, and he was touching her… She tried not to think of it as hard, but she couldn’t remember anything significant. “I remember you two… was there another girl?”

“No, you’re Alice,” Hannibal offered to fill in some of the holes in her memory.

“You lied about your names…” Nina mumbled drawing conclusions on her own without memory. Then memories flickered to the front of her mind, “You name is really Hannibal… and” _Will is going to make sure there is no reason for nightmares._ “His name is Will…”

“To everyone else it’s still Victor and Hector,” Hannibal told her, leaving no room for argument, “and your name is Alice outside of these rooms.”

“You’re still Nina,” Will insisted eyeing Hannibal as he brushed her hair back behind an ear. He knew that Bedelia had in all honesty knew exactly who she was the entire time she was with Hannibal, but he wouldn’t have him attempt to take Nina’s identity from her.

“I know who I am,” Nina said slowly. She was positive of who she was, but she was unsure why she’d need reminding.

“Will is just protective,” Hannibal insisted softly. After a moment he asked, “Do you think you can stand? Let’s go get you some water.”

“Why am I here?!” Nina asked, it just kind of spilling out of her. She felt like if she didn’t ask now she’d never get to know the answer. At least she felt like she’d never have the guts to ask again.

Will made some sort of distressed noise, and Hannibal looked thoughtfully down at her. She was admittedly panicked and in the midst of her own kidnapping, he could overlook the outburst. He was going to try to explain it to her, but Will beat him to it…

“You’re here because you bumped into the Mad Hatter, and accepted his invitation to tea,” Will said as he moved over, slipping down onto his knees next to Hannibal. “We could tell you what happened last night and you could pick any reason you liked among those, but if we’re all being honest here the only way this wouldn’t have happened was if you hadn’t tripped into him.”

Hannibal couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips as Nina took that all in. Even then it wouldn’t have really made a difference. He’d spotted her the moment she walked into the hotel. The daunting looks she’d given her loud and obnoxious companions as they flounced around in front of her. Her apologizing as moved around the people her friends payed no mind to.

“Isn’t anyone going to notice I’m missing?” Nina asked sliding back from them. “Isn’t someone going to recognize a missing person?”

“Your friends think you’ve run away,” Hannibal explained letting her move away from them, “I’m sure they were in quite a lot of trouble, but the police aren’t going to waste much time or energy on a runaway who is legally an adult.” This morning when they left the hotel there was no sign of police, but he’d seen the whole group heading out of the hotel. No doubt to go looking for her. Hannibal and Will had gone completely unnoticed. Now it would hopefully be an “out of sight, out of mind” type deal.

“Why do they think that?” Nina asked with a deep frown.

“Your last text message to Helen was quite clear that you were going to spend the rest of this trip on your own,” Hannibal said as he stood up, coaxing Will into doing the same.

Nina looked up at them biting her lip. “I don’t get to decide whether I go back or not, do I?”

“No, Nina,” Hannibal said reaching his hand out to her, “You don’t.”

Nina didn’t really see another choice, she reached up taking Hannibal’s hand. He helped her to her feet, but as she swayed he pulled her up against him. She tensed, but she didn’t dare pull away, being too afraid to fall.

Why did this happen?

“I… Are you two…” Nina took a deep breath trying to reign in her thoughts. “Am I going to be okay?” Nina asked, not meaning how terrible she felt physically. He’d already answered that question.

“Yes,” Will insisted, hesitantly reaching over and petting the back of her head. She jerked in Hannibal’s hold and Will’s hand instantly shot back away from her.

“Let’s get you that water,” Hannibal said once Nina stepped back on her own. “We bought you an outfit when you feel up to changing.”

“Thank you…” Nina said, unsure what else to do.

oOo

Hannibal had no qualms with entering her personal space, but Will seemed almost afraid to touch her now. Nina looked at him as he sat on the other side of the living room. Hannibal had drawn the curtains, the inner ones that still let light through, but Nina still thought it was too bright. She drank her water sitting next to Hannibal on the couch, she still only wore the sweater she woke up in, but it almost felt like sitting with them had before… It would have been nice if except it felt like everything was wrong.

Nina looked down at her glass before asking, “Aren’t either of you worried that I’m just going to try to get out of the room? Even just wait for a maid to come clean the room and tell her I don’t belong here?”

“Do we need to be?” Hannibal asked looking over at her from a book he’d bought. He’d put away everything but the clothes they’d bought for Nina, they sat under the coffee table waiting on her.

Nina bit her lip glancing from Hannibal to Will. Hannibal seemed unconcerned, but Will looked pained. “Would it accomplish anything?” Nina asked looking back down at her cup.

“No,” Will answered simply, watching her eyes dart up to look at him before going back down to her water. At least it wouldn’t accomplish anything helpful. Hannibal would kill anyone she told, and then her.

“Is there any chance that you’re going to let me go,” Nina asked, sinking in on herself.

“No,” Hannibal answered just as simply as Will had. Her eyes lingered on him though and he expanded his answer, “You don’t realize it, but you already know too much. You don’t want us to let you go.”

“I would not be going under my own power,” Nina guessed. Will gave her an affirmative grunt. Rolling it around in her mind Nina knew she shouldn’t need to ask her next question. She knew that asking would only make it real, and worse. She knew it wouldn’t change anything. Asking the question would not change the answer… Still she asked, “Kidnapping me isn’t the worst thing either of you have ever done, is it?”

“No sweet girl,” Hannibal said patting Nina’s leg, her skin was a bit cool under his warmth. They’d have to get her to change, warm her up a bit.

“Not by a long shot,” Will said gravely, and when she looked to him he insisted, “You’re still alive.”

“ _Will_ ,” Hannibal huffed as Nina shot up off the couch. She had enough of her wits about her to set down her cup on the coffee table, but she looked very much ready to bolt. Something held her to her spot though and Hannibal tried to keep her there, “Nina, you don’t need to worry about that right now. We’re just going to stay with you today and make sure you start to feel better.”

Nina shook, her instincts were all trying to fight to be the one she acted on. “I don’t want to be here,” Nina whined as she took a step back. It had both men on their feet. “I just want to go home.”

“You won’t be alone with us,” Hannibal said, trying to appeal to the part of her that hid her embarrassment against him in the car at wanting to be with them.

_“We’ll be with you, and keep you safe. You won’t be alone with us.” He said, kissing her forehead._

Nina shook her head trying to dispel the foggy memory. “This isn’t right,” Nina insisted taking another step back. “What do you even want from me?!”

Hannibal frowned, “Just you.”

Nina was starting to feel worse and worse. It was starting to feel like she couldn’t breathe. She whimpered and her knees buckled, she tried to catch herself, but instead Hannibal did. He brought them both gently down onto their knees.

“Now you’re having a panic attack,” Hannibal told her as he cupped her cheek. “Breathe Nina, you’re starting to hyperventilate. In… Out…” She gave a valiant effort at it. “In… Out… In through your nose… Out through your mouth.”

Will was back on the floor with them now. He took her hand in his saying, “We’re not going to hurt you Nina.”

“How do I know that?!” Nina gasped out, pulling away from Hannibal and Will.

“We’re going to show you,” Hannibal told her confidently. He looked at Will for a second before he looked back to Nina, “I’ll make you a deal. Would you like to hear it?”

Will wanted to tell her not to do it… but he let her. It wouldn’t do to pretend he didn’t want her to stay. It would just be hurting himself to hinder Hannibal in manipulating her.

“Yes, please,” Nina breathed as she pushed herself up onto her feet, unable to stay still. She wanted just a little more distance.

Hannibal smiled up at her, staying on his knees with Will. “It’s Monday, so if you stay with us through Friday, honestly putting an effort into keeping our cover, and participating in our day to day life, we’ll let you go. We’ll let you go _if_ you want us to. You’ll have to be Alice outside this room, and continue to call us Victor and Hector, but in private we’ll get to know each other. We won’t do anything to you that you don’t want us to, and we won’t force you to participate in any activity you really don’t want to do, unless you’re being unreasonable.”

“Unreasonable how?” Nina asked narrowing her eyes at Hannibal. That sounded an awful lot like a loophole designed to get her to do anything.

“Going to dinner with us is not an unreasonable request, it’s a day to day activity,” Hannibal explained, actually quite proud that she didn’t just immediately jump on the deal without thinking it through. “That and this hotel is under the impression that you’re my daughter, and Will is your uncle, as we’re on vacation together it would be odd for you to order room service while we went to eat in the dining room. It would draw unwanted attention.”

“I can’t just lock myself in that room until Friday is what you’re saying…” Nina mumbled, to make sure she had the right idea. Hannibal nodded, and Will just sat there watching the other man closely. After a moment she asked, “Is kidnapping a day to day activity for you two?”

“We won’t force you to commit a crime,” Hannibal assured her. It would of course be her choice when the time came. Even then it could wait till after the duration of the deal.

“All I have to do is go along with you two until Friday? If Saturday morning I wake up and want to go back to my friends and family, you’ll let me?” Nina asked unable to sound anything but skeptical. They just told her they wouldn't let her go, but now they were making a deal to do just that.

“I give you my word, if Saturday morning you want to go home we will let you go,” Hannibal nodded, “and I’m nothing if not a man of my word.”

“You’re okay with this?” Nina asked looking at Will. “I don’t want Saturday to roll around and you decide that you never agreed to this.”

“I’ll uphold Hannibal’s deal,” Will told her honestly. If anything he’d probably stick to it better than Hannibal. Hannibal would try to further manipulate her into doing anything extra he wanted. If he found a crime to commit with Nina, she would commit it with him. Will knew that better than anyone.

“What if I break the deal and try to tell someone what’s really happening?” Nina asked looking back at Hannibal. She instinctively took a step back when his demeanor darkened considerably at her question. Even on his knees he was an intimidating figure.

“Would you like an honest answer to that question,” Hannibal asked his tone calm as he watched her closely. When she nodded he answered, “I will cut your still beating heart from your chest,” he paused to make sure she was still with him, “and I will eat it.”

To her credit Nina stayed standing, and did not run away as much as that terrified her. A glance at Will said that he wasn’t surprised in the least at that admission. Instead she asked, her hands fisting in the hem of the sweater she had on, “What if either of you break the deal?”

“You may leave immediately,” Hannibal offered, his hackles lowering, “and we’ll make no plans to call on you again.”

Nina tried to think of anything else she needed to ask. She tried to think of anything else that might be used against her. Really she knew there was no guarantee that this would work out in her favor even if she did make it to Saturday. They might turn around and take her anyway…

If they kept to their word though she could still go home…

It was a chance she was going to have to take.

She looked at both of them, sitting on their knees before her, watching her. “It’s a deal…”

“Good,” Hannibal grinned up at her as Will hung his head.


	7. Toys and Bedtime Stories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been forgetting I can do this, this entire time! In any case! Thank you everyone who's been reading, and especially those of you who commented! I hope everyone's still enjoying the story!

Nina watched Will as he sort of watched the news on the rather large TV mounted on the wall. He didn’t seem really interested in it though, hence the sort of, it was more like it was just on and he was staring in that general direction. After their talk Nina had reluctantly taken a shower and gotten dressed at Hannibal’s request. She had to admit, she at least felt like a person again now that she had pants. A person with a persistent migraine, but a person.

Well, at least her heart stopped running marathons for the most part.

After a few moments his eyes landed on her and Nina walked over to him her hands wringing in the flowing red spaghetti-strap top she’d been given. It took a little longer until she finally spoke. She asked, “Would you have left me alone?” She needed to know if she’d completely misjudged him.

Will motioned for her to sit down as he said, “There was a time I would have. I would have noticed you, but I wouldn’t have tried to meet you.”

“That would have required him to be social,” Hannibal said as he walked out of the room he was sharing with Will, Nina’s gifts in hand. “As you wouldn’t have said hello to him either, you both would have just slipped by each other.”

“So this all started with you?” Nina asked looking up at Hannibal only slightly distracted by the leather-bound journal in his hand.

“How do you know it wasn’t me?” Will asked indignantly even though he knew he wasn’t the center of her attention anymore. “I could have lured him into talking to me first.”

“So you lured him in with your wiles and lack of social skills?” Nina asked skeptically as she looked at him from the corner of her eye, wanting to know what Hannibal intended to do with that journal. He just chuckled though and Will grumbled about having wiles before Nina sighed looking at him more fully, “You’re not exactly the one who stopped in front of me so I’d bump into you…” she glanced at Hannibal before adding, “ _twice_.”

Hannibal gave her a toothy grin as Will took his turn to sigh.

“We brought you a gift,” Hannibal offered, in order to change the subject, holding out the journal and a pack of pens. He enjoyed the way her eyes widened as she realized they were for her, but she didn’t go to take them right away. “You can use them however you’d like,” He encouraged.

Nina was hesitant, but she reached up to take them anyway. The leather was plush under her fingers, and it tied closed; the pens were nice, black, only two in the pack. It was a beautiful gift and she wanted it, but… did you accept gifts from your kidnappers? “Thank you?” Nina asked more than said, still unsure she should keep it.

“Did you actually make that a question?” Will asked as Hannibal got Nina to scoot closer to him, so they could be on either side of her. She stopped just before touching him, trying to sit perched between them, not too close to one or the other.

“I’ve never done this before,” Nina told him exasperatedly, defensive, “You tell me how I’m supposed to react to presents from my abductors.”

“You don’t need to think of us that way,” Hannibal said his arm making its way across the back of the couch behind Nina, his fingers brushing at Will’s shoulder.

“Then how?” Nina asked before something popped to the forefront of her mind. “Wait! You two aren’t even brothers!” She’d been trying to mold them into something other than the people who took her, but they didn’t mesh back into the brothers she had tea with back at the hotel. It was like someone dropped water on their puzzle and now the pieces didn’t fit exactly right anymore.

“It’s the accent isn’t it?” Will asked looking over at Hannibal, a very _I told you so_ look crossing his features. No one had questioned them about it, but it was what set them noticeably apart.

“Did you two drug me?!” Nina asked very much ready to hand back the journal. She wanted to know what else was a lie. There was a difference between drugging her and taking her, and saving her and taking her. Not much of a difference, but a difference all the same.

“No, that would be the bartender at the request of the guy he pointed out to you,” Hannibal said with a deep frown as he looked down at her. “If you hadn’t accepted the drink he gave you, then you probably would have made it safely back to your hotel.”

Nina deflated at that, sinking down a little bit. Her back finally touched the couch, but that had their shoulders touching hers. “I should have just stayed at the hotel…” Nina breathed looking down at the journal and pens in her lap.

“It wouldn’t have stopped us,” Will told her as he reached over putting a hand on her knee, but when he felt her tense under him he removed it. “Sure we would have met you for tea every day and talked about any number of topics, but then Hannibal would have started to drive a wedge between you and your friends. They made it so easy, not wanting to go with you that first day. I would have tried to catch you alone when you were driven apart from them, make you feel better…”

“I would have mentioned where we were going one day during tea when your friendship was falling apart,” Hannibal took over leaning in just a little closer to her, “Should you have joined us you probably would not have made it back to the hotel.”

“There’s a chance that you wouldn’t have wanted to,” Will said leaning his head back to look at the ceiling.

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore…” Nina told them, trying to keep the whine out of her voice. Trying not to bolt up out of her seat between them. This would have happened anyway, and she didn’t want to think about that.

“We don’t have to,” Hannibal said brushing his hand over her hair.

oOo

Hannibal smiled as he found Nina and Will asleep on the couch after he returned from looking around the hotel and the surrounding area. Nina was tucked under his arm her journal still sitting on her lap, one of the pens secured in the tie. The news was droning on about current events, nothing about a murder or a missing girl. They’d have to get Nina some luggage soon so he could check the internet on the laptop Will had insisted they needed.

They’d eaten upstairs for lunch today since Nina still seemed shaky. She’d interacted with the butler that’d brought their meal, and later returned to collect their dishes, and without incident. Being shy worked in her favor, as she gave small answers to the benign questions she’d been asked. Will had tensed when the butler had mentioned their lost luggage, but Nina had taken it in stride saying they had some clothes in their carry-ons just for that type of mishap. After the man left Nina had pointedly looked at them asking if there was anything else she might need to know. She hadn’t said it, but it was obvious she wanted to mention how he threatened to rip out her heart if she gave them away.

Nina had such moments of bravery.

Hannibal noticed Will’s eyes on him after a time, and sat down with them once more. “How was she?” He asked watching as Will rubbed her arm a bit. Them touching her made her uncomfortable, they could both see it. They didn’t want her to stay uncomfortable though.

“Fine. She went into her room for a little bit to write, but she couldn’t seem to because after fifteen minutes she was back,” Will said as he looked down at the girl tucked against him. He’d pulled her to him when it became obvious she was trying not to fall asleep. She sat stiffly for a time, but being forced to stay still she eventually relaxed and nodded off. He’d tried to move the journal from her lap but she’d clung to it like a life line so he let her keep it… “She won’t let her gift go…”

“It’s important to her,” Hannibal hummed his hand finding Will’s hair this time. “It’s proof we care. To her it’s the physical representation of our promise not to hurt her, whether she knows it or not. She didn’t know how to trust that we wouldn’t hurt her, and she didn’t know whether to take it or not. Now she’s clinging to it like a child would a favored stuffed toy. It was okay to accept one one, so hopefully it’s okay to accept the other.”

“The first time we brake her trust it’ll be worthless,” Will sighed, leaning into Hannibal’s hand. “Tossed aside.”

“All children grow out of their toys,” Hannibal assured as his hand moved to Will’s cheek to rub at the stubble there, “We’ll replace it with new promises and new tokens of affection.”

Will frowned shaking his head to detach Hannibal from him, then looked at him, and said, “She asked if we intended for her to think of us as fathers.”

“What did you tell her?” Hannibal asked his eyes falling back Nina as his hand settled along the back of the couch.

“I told her that things weren’t that simple,” Will mumbled looking back at the TV as murder was mentioned. It was a home invasion though, so he continued talking, “She said she really already knew that because you told her that we wouldn’t do anything to her that she didn’t want us to.”

“You wouldn’t have said that if you didn’t intend to do something with me,” Nina said groggily against Will, just barely awake. She’d caught the tail-end of their conversation, and her explanation just popped out.

“Does that make you uncomfortable?” Hannibal asked as Nina sat up, stretching a bit.

Nina didn’t want to admit it, but the longer they sat looking at her the more she knew it was already obvious. “A little,” was all she said though.

“It made Will uncomfortable too,” Hannibal shared tilting his head down towards her, his fingers gently tangling into the hair at the back of her head. “All you ever have to do is tell us to stop.”

“Even if it’s just Hannibal invading your personal space,” Will said glaring at him for telling her that. “He likes touching people he claims as his own.”

Hannibal’s look hardened as it settled on Will, but all that came from Nina was a soft “oh.” The small noise drew his attention back to her. He leaned in kissing her forehead before he released her saying, “Yes, if you ever need your space don’t be afraid to speak up.” He’d afford her the space until she could handle it again in any case.

Nina looked towards Will at that, asking, “Does it still make you uncomfortable?”

That question made him uncomfortable, and he looked back towards the TV as he thought about what to tell her. Being with Hannibal was complicated. They’d both done horrible things to each other and all they learned was life was worse without the other. Still… “Usually I’m fine, but sometimes it’s still too much,” Will said, quickly glancing at both Nina and Hannibal.

“That’s okay, as long as you make it clear that you need to be finished,” Hannibal told her, and as much as he was saying it to Nina he was reminding Will too. Will sometimes couldn’t handle the sensory overload, but wouldn’t _say anything_ , and then Will turned in on himself. “We’ll stop and console you, or stop and give you time and space, but you have to tell us to stop.” Hannibal would not have both of them holed up in different rooms at the same time trying to sort themselves out just because they were overwhelmed while being intimate, and were too embarrassed or stubborn to tell him (or one of them) to stop touching them.

oOo

Nina tried to find ways to occupy herself until dinner. Anything just so long as she wasn’t sitting there thinking about the mess she’d found herself in. She tried to write, but every time she tried to put pen to paper she worried about ruining the journal they’d given her. Hannibal said it was hers, but she just couldn’t bring herself to write in it. She’d retreated back to her room, and when writing didn’t work she took to looking around. She almost reluctantly left the journal on her bed.

She’d found the bathroom in here before. It was large and beautiful, but still just a bathroom. There was TV on the wall, but she felt too jittery to sit and watch it for very long. After that she explored the other doors, finding a small closet that she put the remaining two outfits that had been bought for her. Then she looked at the desk sitting in the chair for as long as it took to find there was nothing in the drawers but a notepad. The two bedside tables were just as useless. She came to the last door curiously. Maybe it was another closet?

Nina opened it only to gasp and immediately swing it back shut. Her face burned and she wanted to apologize, but she also didn’t want to open the door again. She’d just wait here for him to scold her. She could always say she thought it was a closet so it’d be silly to knock on a closet door, but maybe she should have just in case…

Why did he have to be getting dressed?!

After a few moments the door did open and she kept her eyes on the floor.

“I’m sorry,” Nina mumbled to Hannibal’s sock clad feet.

“Don’t be, I’m assuming you thought the door led to a closet?” Hannibal asked as he fixed the cuffs of his shirt. When Nina nodded quickly he couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t as though he’d just dropped his towel when she’d opened the door. His pants had been securely in place when the door opened, and he had to believe she’d seen a man without his shirt before. “I’m just getting ready for dinner.”

“So we’re going downstairs?” Nina asked softly as she peeked up at him.

“We are,” Hannibal nodded as he reached out, brushing her hair back behind her ear. “Why don’t you go get in the dress we got for you? Will should be finishing his shower and then we’ll eat and come back up. Tomorrow we’ll go out to get you clothing.”

Nina looked towards the closet where she’d put the dress. “Everything you bought me is red…” Nina said as she looked back at him. She’d noticed it while she was putting it all away. She was wearing a red top now, the dress was red, and her outfit tomorrow came with a red jacket.

“My apologies, that was my doing,” Hannibal chuckled a bit. “It was mostly to antagonize Will.”

“Why?” Nina asked her head tilting off to the side a bit. She suspected they both liked to antagonize each other. However, she also suspected that Hannibal usually had the upper hand in regards to that.

“I was reminding him he’s a wolf now too,” Hannibal told her as he gave her a very wolfish grin.

Nina frowned up at him insisting, “That’s not the best fairytale to go with.”

“Why not?” Hannibal asked. He could guess, but he wanted to hear what she had to say about it.

“Because, then this isn’t going to work out for one of us,” Nina mumbled, but after a second amended, “Well, either it won’t work out for me, or it won’t work out for you and Will… Either the wolf eats Little Red, or a woodcutter comes and dispatches the wolf.”

Hannibal frowned at that.

Nina wanted to reach out and touch him. Grip his arm, brush his hand, or maybe even hug him, but she didn’t dare. Instead she said, “It’s just a story though… I’ll go get ready for dinner.” She didn’t want to get too close to them, she couldn’t get comfortable. Nina knew she had to find a way back to her family. Just waiting until Saturday was a longshot but she’d work towards that first. All she had to do was wait.

oOo

Dinner went smoothly, Nina had been a little tense, but they talked on and on about things they enjoyed and experienced. Hannibal told them about musical’s he’d seen, and working in hospitals. Will talked about getting in trouble as a teenager, and a book he read in high school but couldn’t remember the name of. Nina was kind enough to tell him the book was _And Then There Were None_ , and then told them about comics she liked, and movies she loved.

They kept talking as they walked up to the room and it turned to Will asking Nina, “Is sneaking out to that dingy little club the first thing you’ve done that you weren’t supposed to?”

Nina frowned shaking her head, “No.” She paused biting her lip as Hannibal used the keycard to open their suite. They walked inside before she told them, “That’s not the first time I’ve let myself be dragged out to a party I had no business being at. Usually I was just a wallflower…” They walked towards the living room and Nina mumbled, “Sometimes I’d just slip out the back and go do something I actually wanted to do.”

“Like?” Will asked as he sat down on one of the couches.

“Find a place to read, or write. Sometimes I would go somewhere busy and people watch, if only because I knew I had the time…” Nina sighed as she sat down in one of the arm chairs, if only to buy herself some space. “I’d leave them a text saying I’d gone home, but Helen knew those weren’t always true.”

“So your friends probably believe that you ran away,” Will surmised.

“Yeah,” Nina nodded as she watched Hannibal sit down with Will. “They probably will…” Nina didn’t even know if they’d look for her. They might if only because Ms. J would make them. She wondered if they’d told her parents.

“Does that bother you?” Hannibal asked, as he watched her play with the hem of her dress.

“A little,” Nina breathed glancing up at them. When she looked back down she added, “If only because they won’t really look for me. They might keep an eye out for me, but not as much as they would if I’d gone missing with no word.”

This meant she really was alone with them…


	8. A Nighttime Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter is a little slow, but hopefully still entertaining. I might post chapter nine this afternoon as well when I have a little more time. (Also I just like the next chapter.)

That night Nina found herself in one of Will’s T-shirts, and very much awake. She’d fallen asleep in the living room, but when Hannibal went to pick her up she’d jolted awake. Now she couldn’t get back to sleep. She’d changed and gotten into bed, but she couldn’t get herself to go back to sleep. She had her journal under her pillow, her fingers brushing over the leather for a long time. Hannibal and Will had gone to sleep, or at least the light coming from under their door went off about twenty minutes ago.

Nina remembered reading somewhere that it took the average person seven minutes to fall asleep. Even if it took one of them longer they should both be asleep by now…

Crawling out of bed Nina walked over to the door separating the two rooms listening for noises. There were none though. She knew they didn’t have phones with games on them, and somehow doubted they’d use their phones like that even if they could. Hers was currently probably smashed in the middle of the road somewhere, or in an alley laying on the ground waiting for someone to pick it up and run up her bill.

Padding from the door Nina walked up the small hall that held the bathroom as well as the opening that led to the rest of the suite. It led right out to the front hall, and she stood there for a while. The front door was right there. A few feet in the other direction was the door that led to Will and Hannibal’s room. She could leave right now. Go downstairs and get help…

Unless this was a test…

What if they were both awake and waiting for her to do just this?

Then she’d have broken their deal…

Sighing Nina headed the other way. There was a kitchen and the living room. Hannibal and Will had bought some snacks and drinks when they had gotten them clothes. Little things so they didn’t have to keep ordering room service or keep leaving the suite. She went there first getting a small bottle of cranberry juice. Cracking it open Nina stood there for a long moment sipping at it.

Glancing around Nina wondered if she could get away. She wondered if she could just go get dressed and go back to the other hotel. Maybe, if she just pretended none of this had happened they’d let her go without waiting until Saturday. She’d just tell her friends that she made a mistake running away, that she’d gotten drunk or something. If she never left the company of her friends she’d be safe, right?

Maybe she’d be grounded anyway and forced to stay in the hotel anyway…

Would they be able to get to her then?

She already knew that kidnapping her was not the worst thing they’d done. That probably meant they were prepared to do more. She didn’t have an example further than Hannibal threatening to cut her heart out, but she really didn’t want one. If she had that sort of example, then she knew she really wouldn’t be allowed to leave. The key was to know as little as possible. A threat was just a threat.

Walking back into the living room Nina jolted, but really she was only half surprised to see Hannibal standing there in pajama bottoms. He looked a little bedraggled rubbing at his face, but after a yawn he asked, “Couldn’t sleep?” She didn’t know why but it felt like looking at a sleeping big cat. It was almost like you could pet it, but you know you shouldn’t.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Nina mumbled after a shake of her head, pulling at the hem of the shirt she wore. She was now overly aware that she was walking around in a shirt that wasn’t even hers and some underwear. Nina wasn’t sure she wanted this to become a normal standard of dress for them to see her in.

“I didn’t think so, after all you thought about running away for quite a while in the hallway,” Hannibal said as he walked over to the couch and sat down, patting the seat beside him. “If you’re going to try and be stealthier than that I suggest socks. I could hear your feet on the wood. Not to mention how loudly you sigh.”

Nina didn’t know what to say, so she just moved over to sit next to Hannibal. He wrapped an arm around her, getting her to lean into him. After a little while she said, “I just couldn’t lay there anymore. It felt useless to try.”

“It’s alright Nina,” Hannibal spoke against her hair. He brushed his hand up and down her arm before letting her go so they were merely sitting next to each other, and she had the space to drink her juice. “I know you’re going to think about it, and so does Will, he’s just a heavy sleeper.” At least he had been since they started sharing a bed.

Nina drank her juice sitting with Hannibal, but she still didn’t know what to say regarding her thinking about running away from this. “Where are we going tomorrow?” Nina asked instead. She didn’t want to say something wrong, like mentioning she thought about hiding in plain sight from them. Not to mention if that plan became available to her she didn’t want to give it away.

“Tomorrow me and you are going shopping, wherever you want, while Will makes sure your friends don’t accidently stumble upon us,” Hannibal explained letting her change the subject. “In the afternoon we’ll eat together, but at dinner it’ll just be you and Will. I have some things to do, so if you agree to stay with us we can go somewhere else.” He also had to go back to that dull little club.

A frown touched her lips, but she took a drink to hide it. What if she didn’t want to go with them? How were they going to do this? What was she supposed to do? Frowning Nina did ask, “When you found my phone you found my ID too right?” It had been in her phone case.

“Of course, I have both your I.D. and your debit card,” Hannibal said before a wry grin took his lips asking, “Is there a reason you couldn’t take your purse with you?”

“I don’t have one…” Nina mumbled embarrassedly. “I brought my backpack to London, but that was too big. I didn’t exactly think that someone else was going to try and locate my phone.”

“We’ll get you a small one tomorrow, otherwise Will or I will hold your things for you,” Hannibal offered as he watched her distract herself with her drink. He let her drink in silence for a while before asking, “Are you nervous?”

Nina didn’t want to concentrate on it but she nodded. It wasn’t like this morning when she felt sick, but she still felt like her whole body was vibrating. “I don’t know what to do.”

Hannibal watched as little tremors racked Nina’s body. Taking the nearly empty bottle from her he reached over setting it on the coffee table before he turned more fully to her. He had a slight flash of a memory of Will sitting alone looking quite similar. Shaking and scared in just a shirt and boxers. Without her hands occupied she even slid her hands over her face and into her hair like Will, bending over a bit. Moving to adjust himself on the couch a bit he intended to give her more space but she jolted, grabbing onto his arm as though he were going to leave her alone completely.

Nina wanted to tell him not to go, but it got all caught up in her throat. He still held his arms out for her though. Her heart raced further, but she moved over into the circle of his arms. She just wanted someone to tell her what she should do. Nina held to him tightly, not wanting to be alone. No one was looking for her. Hannibal and Will were the only ones looking out for her, but at the same time they could be the ones hurting her… How was she supposed to know what to do?

Hannibal shuffled her onto his lap, letting her press her cheek to his shoulder. Her hands moved behind his back, pausing over the slight difference where he had cosmetic surgery to remove Mason’s mark from his back during his and Will’s stint in Canada before coming here. Her hands moved elsewhere, and he held her closer feeling her warm breath against his skin. “Do whatever you want to do,” Hannibal breathed looking down at her.

“What if it’s the wrong thing?” Nina asked holding onto him tighter, pressing her forehead to his chest instead.

“Then we’ll work it out,” Hannibal told her as she hid against him, “You, me, and Will. It’s only natural for you to test your limits with us. Just don’t tell anyone who we are. That’s not something you can take back, it’s not something we can outrun.”

“I don’t want the woodcutter to come for the wolves…” Nina said hiding her face against his neck now as one of his hands rubbed up and down her back, “I just don’t want… it to go the other way either.”

That was a start.

Hannibal nuzzled her temple at that, “Maybe it doesn’t have to be that way.”

oOo

They sat like that for a long time. Eventually, when her breathing started to slow, but before she fell asleep Hannibal said, “We should go to sleep, we have a big day ahead of us.”

However, when he went to help her up Nina clung harder. “I don’t want to be alone,” Nina insisted, relieved when his arms tightened around her once more. “Every time I’m alone my mind goes everywhere at once, and I can’t relax.”

Hannibal smiled into her hair, before asking, “Would you like me to come lay with you until you fall asleep, or do you want to come with me to stay with Will.” Either would work. He would like her to bond with Will as well, but they could always progress towards that if she wasn’t comfortable enough yet.

She didn’t want him to leave. If she woke up in the middle of the night she’d never get back to sleep. What if this time she took his advice, wore socks and snuck out? Is that what she wanted? Nina didn’t want to do that. Not tonight. She’d already been caught once… “I… I want to go to your room with Will,” Nina said breathlessly, almost not wanting him to hear. He did though, and he stood them up.

Nina’s hand hesitantly started to reach for his, and Hannibal gripped hers with confidence. He led her down the hall and into his, and Will’s, room. Will was on his stomach, his breathing heavy but even. Walking around the bed Hannibal urged her into the bed first, but as he got in behind her Will’s breath hitched and he turned over and sat up.

“What’s wrong?” Will asked looking at Nina, who looked very ready to get right back up.

“She didn’t want to be alone,” Hannibal explained shuffling Nina closer to Will, but staying close to her as well. “She wanted to come sleep in here with us.”

Will looked down at her as Hannibal coaxed her onto her side so she was facing him. Will smiled a bit at her saying, “That’s okay, you can stay with us.” Nina gave him a shaky smile, and he scooted closer to her.

Hannibal was flush against her back an arm wrapped around her, and Will placed his hand over one of hers. They were separated by a small sliver of bed. Hannibal knew Nina and Will would be slow to touch. They would be afraid to make the other uncomfortable when they already knew what that felt like. He’d be there to help them both along though.


	9. Never Really Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update today just for funsies!

Hannibal held Nina’s hand in his as they walked. They’d been to a couple stores and packed away the bags they’d gathered so far in the car. Will had taken a cab where he was going, giving them the rental. Still they walked up and down the street instead of driving. It was filled with stores of all kinds, but they’d mostly stuck to the clothing stores. Nina at first had been tense during their outing, but she’d relaxed into it. The first time a store clerk crooned about how cute it was that they were having a “daddy-daughter” day, even though she was all grown up, Nina realized that no one knew what was really going on.

After that she’d relaxed and wandered freely inside the stores, only looking to him when she wanted an opinion. Well, and to see if he was looking before she put down something she wanted but thought was too expensive. If he saw he’d pick it up himself to ensure she had the things she wanted. She wouldn’t have bought half as much if he wasn’t so observant.

“I still think I’m spending too much,” Nina insisted as she looked up at him.

“Nonsense,” Hannibal chuckled as he slowed to look at the window display of a store they were passing. “These are things you’ll need if you choose to stay.”

Nina felt like she was blushing from head to toe looking at the window display of a lingerie store. Did he have to say that in front of this particular store? “I just… I don’t really think I need all of this.” What if she didn’t stay?

“I want you to have new things for this trip, and if Hector was with us he’d agree,” Hannibal insisted as he let go of her hand and pulled out his wallet. After, he pressed some money into her hand as he told her, “Here I think you’ll do just fine in this store on your own.”

Nina looked down to find more than two hundred dollars in her hand. She tried to object but the pointed look Hannibal gave her had her shoving the money into her back pocket. “I don’t know about this…” Nina said eying the store like the things inside it might attack her of their own accord.

“I’ll be…” Hannibal looked around before motioning across the street at a larger store that catered to both men and women, “I’ll be there, in the men’s section when you’re finished.”

oOo

It had taken a sales woman exactly ten seconds to zero in on Nina and realize she didn’t have the slightest clue of what to do in such a store. After taking her measurements the woman showed her some things and set her loose in the store. Nina was wildly embarrassed the entire time and wondered how women did this all the time.

“This is quite a taxing endeavor isn’t it?” an Asian woman asked as she stood next to her looking at the impossible amount of choices of matching bra and pantie sets.

Nina nodded, “Yeah… I’ve never been in a store like this.” She was already the color of a cherry there was no reason to try and deny it. Especially to a stranger she’d never see again.

“Are you in here to get something pleasing for the gentleman you parted ways with at the door?” she asked with a smile, her brown eyes knowing.

Nina’s eyes widened and she sputtered out, “N-no he’s my dad!” She hoped that sounded convincing because she didn’t feel convincing. Nina hoped that maybe the fact that she looked completely mortified would translate into _“ew that’s my father”_ and not _“oh god was it obvious?!”_

“Oh, my apologies, definitely not for him then,” she chuckled as she looked at the choices Nina had made already. Some bra’s some underwear, but all practical for everyday wear, not the lacy selections on the wall before them.

Nina hoped she hadn’t given them away already. This was the first time she’d been left alone and she didn’t want to ruin it right off the bat… She couldn’t leave now. Not yet. She had to wait. “I… I still…” Nina started but didn’t know how to finish that. Not even to herself. She’d just wanted to move the subject away from Hannibal, but now she didn’t know how to continue

“You still want something, for someone else to see,” she said her look turning more gentle. When Nina nodded she smiled and looked at the choices before them. “You’re still quite young.”

“I know…” Nina mumbled. They were both older than her. They’d seen everything, and surely with women more mature, and more confident than her.

“That doesn’t change anything though,” the woman said as moved over a bit looking at more of the selection. “We all grow up at different speeds, if you want them to see you, they certainly will.”

Nina frowned at that but still followed the woman when she motioned for her to do so.

oOo

Nina hurried across the street once she finally finished shopping. Hopefully she hadn’t taken too long. When she’d gone to thank the woman who’d helped her pick out the few more special items the woman had already been gone. She’d been the only reason Nina hadn’t rushed out of there the second she’d realized what she’d really been contemplating. Nina didn’t understand why she’d talked to the woman, but she’d been easy to talk to. It reminded Nina that she wasn’t completely dysfunctional. She could have a normal conversation, even in a stressful situation.

Once in the store Nina found the men’s section, and quickly she located Hannibal. He of course spotted her before she was even close and smiled, pausing in his browsing. He was looking at some ties near the isle, probably for her benefit more than his.

“I hope I wasn’t too long,” Nina said as she fiddled with the bags in her hands.

“No, Chiyoh explained you had trouble navigating the store,” Hannibal said quite casually, despite the look Nina started to give him. She looked confused at first, then worried, and last anxious. It all rushing over her features like rain down a window.

“Chi… the woman who started talking to me in the store?” Nina asked, though she had the mind to keep her voice down. She knew better than to draw attention to them.

“Mmhmm,” Hannibal hummed affirmatively. “I wanted to know how you’d do by yourself.”

Nina frowned, “But I wasn’t by myself was I?”

“No, you weren’t,” Hannibal agreed. “Chiyoh said you looked very overwhelmed, and that’s why she interfered.”

“Oh…” Nina breathed with a little nod of her head. She guessed that made sense. She couldn’t be trusted just yet, just like she didn’t really trust them to let her go come Saturday morning. “I was nervous for nothing…”

“Thought you made a mistake hmm?” Hannibal asked walking around the table to rub her upper arm comfortingly. When she nodded he leaned down kissing the top of her head saying just for her, “You did well.”

Then why didn’t she feel that way?

oOo

Hannibal frowned as they walked through a department store she insisted on coming to. He understood immediately why they were there when she led him to the personal care section, and understood that this was a practical addition to their outing. She got things like a brush, toothpaste, and a toothbrush. Then she asked him to stand at the end of the aisle when she reached the feminine care aisle. She turned said question miraculously into one word, and after a gasp added about eventually needing things. He’d indulged her, though he would have walked down the aisle for her. He even turned around to wait for her. Still he frowned, not because of their surroundings, but because of Nina.

It wasn’t that she was doing anything wrong, but he could tell this was starting to take a toll on her. This outing was too much stress considering the already stressful ordeal she’d found herself in. Selecting a whole new wardrobe, interacting with person after person, and realizing that she’d never been alone, and could have made a deadly mistake, was too much it would seem. She’d grown more and more tense after she learned about Chiyoh. Now she held a little hand basket full of the things she’d selected here, and it was quite possibly the only reason she wasn’t tucked completely against his side…

“Watch it!”

Nina froze once she regained her balance, Hannibal glowered after the young teen boy who’d run into her. When he looked down at her to ask if she was okay, his hand finding her shoulder, he stopped immediately. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. He could tell she was holding her breath trying to salvage her composure. Instead he told her, “You’re okay Little One.” It was almost time to meet Will, but he didn’t know if she’d make it through eating out. He could see it. She was desperately holding onto the last few threads of control she had, and they were slipping through her fingers one by one.

“Do you want anything else?” He asked carefully as he started leading them back towards the checkout. She shook her head and he felt her force her breathing to remain shallow as he touched the small of her back. “Once we get to the car I’ll call Hector while you put some of your shopping bags into your new luggage, and I’ll tell him to meet us back at the hotel. How about room service?”

“Please,” Nina gasped telling herself to make it to the car.

oOo

Hannibal reached over cupping Nina’s cheek as he drove. He knew the tears would come, but it was distracting for her to cry while he was driving so he sought to calm her down. “Take a deep breath Nina.” He listened as she followed his instruction. “Just listen to my voice, and calm your breathing.” He murmured some sweet words to her until her tears slowed. Then, when he thought she could handle the question he asked, “Were you scared you did something wrong in front of Chiyoh?” She nodded into his hand and lost control of her breathing once more. “Tell me what it was.” They wouldn’t get passed this if she kept it in. It couldn’t have been that bad if Chiyoh didn’t tell him, let alone allowed her across the street to him.

“Sh-she asked… i-if I was picking something foryou, and I was so-so ssscared!” Nina actually cried harder, clinging to Hannibal’s hand when he took it from her cheek to place in her shaking ones. She knew he could hurt her, but he was the only one she had to hold on to right now. “I said you were my dad like you told me to! I said…but she laughed! I didn’t think she believed me! I tried to change the subject, and when you… you knew her. I thought!”

She couldn’t get it out and Hannibal finished for her, “You thought Chiyoh told me you broke our deal.” She nodded her head holding to his hand tightly. He gave a soft squeeze saying, “Chiyoh knows the truth Nina. She was just testing you to see if you’d say what you were supposed to. You did. You did well.”

oOo

Nina calmed down by the time they were to the hotel. They had help up to their suite with their luggage, and shopping bags. Once they were alone though Will had her wrapped up in his arms asking Hannibal, “What happened?”

“She thought she did something wrong in front of Chiyoh,” Hannibal explained, “She did what she was supposed to though.”

Will nodded as he let Nina hold onto him, holding her back just as tightly. “Oh Nina, believe me if you did something wrong in front of Chiyoh you’d know. That woman pushed me off a train and then later shot me.” Will told her as he rubbed her back.

“To be fair you were trying to kill me,” Hannibal sighed as he moved to put Nina’s bags in her room. When he came back Nina looked fairly horrified and he patted her shoulder insisting, “We all get along much better now.”

“Why were you trying to kill him?” Nina asked her chin against Will’s chest as she looked up at him. Hannibal’s fingers brushed through the back of her hair.

“I had to try…” Will frowned, his eyes traveling to Hannibal. After a moment he looked back down at Nina saying, “Life was so much worse without him though…”

Hannibal pushed closer behind Nina to press his forehead to Will’s. Nina watched them shyly before she pressed her cheek to Will’s chest. It made her feel warm to be in the middle of something to intimate, embarrassed, but not…


	10. Kid Gloves

“I think Hannibal expected us to go somewhere…” Nina said as she sat down at the table in their hotel room with Will. They had a feast of every appetizer that sounded even half decent in front of them. Considering the caliber of food, it’d taken more than one cart to bring everything up.

“Would you like to go somewhere?” Will asked with a knowing look. Hannibal had left them together not long after they’d settled Nina down. She’d asked Will where Hannibal was going, but was quiet for a long time after he told her that he was getting them new identities. She’d given him a look he’d seen on Hannibal, like she knew that wasn’t the whole truth. Unlike Hannibal, Nina didn’t pry.

“No,” Nina said, quickly shaking her head.

“Then don’t worry about what Hannibal probably expected of us,” Will grinned as he started to load his plate with the little finger foods. “He doesn’t get everything he wants, and quite frankly that’s a good thing. Really, though, he probably knew I had no real intention of taking you anywhere. Especially after what happened earlier.”

They sat for a quick moment in silence before it was broken.

“If I was in trouble with either of you, would I know it?” Nina asked, even though she knew it was abrupt. She was still nervous. Almost too nervous to eat. She’d barely touched her lunch. She’d only eaten enough of it that Will and Hannibal were just barely appeased.

“If you were in trouble with Hannibal it’s very likely you’d know it immediately depending on what you did and where you did it,” Will frowned as he set down the stuffed mushroom he’d been about to eat. “Hannibal has high expectations for you, and even higher hopes. Disappointing him is in no one’s best interest, but especially not in ours. He was not playing when he said he’d take your heart.”

“What about you?” Nina asked her hands fisted against her thighs, and her eyes glued to them.

Will looked at her for a long moment. “If we could settle it we would. I would be able to understand why you upset me, and we’d work it out however we found worked best.”

“If we couldn’t?” Nina asked still too afraid to seek his physical reaction.

“Then it’d be quick,” Will said as he reached over and put some things on her plate in the hopes that she’d eat them without fussing. “You wouldn’t even know it happened.”

“Either way, I’ll know,” Nina said finally looking up at him. At least she’d know or she wouldn’t be alive to worry.

“Yes,” Will nodded, reaching now for the hand closest to him, giving a small squeeze. “I won’t let Hannibal play with your mind if he finds he’s no longer interested. You won’t become some common play thing that he’ll eventually discard.” After a short moment Will added, “But, I’ve never known Hannibal to lose interest in someone he found important. Hannibal is a long haul kind of man.”

“And those he doesn’t find important?” Nina asked, even though she knew this was nearing territory that she’d told herself she didn’t want to enter. Hannibal had already said she knew too much. She didn’t need to know more, but she’d been unable to stop herself from asking.

“Those people are no better to Hannibal than pigs,” Will explained, and he thought about taking it further. Asking her what people did to pigs would no doubt tell her what Hannibal did to people he thought below him. Nina was dangerously close to biting through her lower lip now though, and he didn’t want to make it worse. She’d learn one day, but it didn’t have to be today. Giving her hand another encouraging squeeze he told her, “You don’t need to worry about that though. We want you to be here. We want you with us.”

Nina wanted to ask if they’d let her go, but she didn’t. She didn’t want the answer knowing what it could be, knowing that he could lie to make her feel better, or even just to keep her compliant. Frowning Nina looked to Will asking instead, “Why me?”

“When Hannibal looked at you he saw himself, and he saw me. He saw the potential for you to be the best of both of us. When you came down to tea and told me that you would resent a prince coming to save you, I knew that I wouldn’t stop Hannibal.” Will told her, deciding he would wait for her to be satisfied before they ate. “Every moment before that I thought of way after way to ward you off. I thought about going out to lunch with Hannibal to keep him from you. I thought of making a big deal of you joining us knowing you wouldn’t want that kind of attention. I thought of merely telling you I didn’t want you there when Hannibal wasn’t within earshot. I thought of every possible look I could give you to make you stay away.”

“Hannibal knew if we talked you would like me too,” Nina said, biting her lower lip once more.

“Of course he did,” Will nodded.

oOo

Dinner had been quiet after her initial questions, and his answers, but it hadn’t been awkward between them. The quiet had been easy, and she even felt calm enough to eat. Now that it was over though Nina couldn’t help but think about what they had talked about. She believed she wasn’t in trouble, but she still didn’t understand what they saw in her. She couldn’t see herself in them, so she couldn’t see how they saw themselves in her.

After Nina retrieved her new journal, and Will pulled out some kind of kit to make fishing lures. She managed to write a little. Mostly she jotted down ideas. Some snippets of dialogue, and the description of a character. She felt good to have finally used her gift, but after a couple of glances at Will sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table she became distracted. It was so little and she didn’t understand how he knew just where to put what. After a while longer she slipped onto the floor next to him to see what he was doing from closer up.

“Would you like to try?” Will asked with a bit of a smile as he tied a feather in place.

“No thank you,” Nina said with a shake of her head, “I wouldn’t want to mess it up, I just want to watch.”

“I’ll get you your own things sometime, and teach you if you ever want to learn,” Will offered as he looked through the box of materials he’d gathered. He could understand not wanting to interfere with something that didn’t belong her. He’d never suggest he try writing in her journal, even with her guidance on whatever subject she normally wrote about.

Nina smiled at the thought of him taking the time to teach her something, “I’d like that.” Leaning back against the couch she added, “I’ve never been fishing, or anything like that, but I think I’d enjoy it. Time to sit and think, and if you’re lucky you have your next meal.”

“There are places to fish around here, we could go this week. There’s even a kitchen, Hannibal would be thrilled to cook for us,” Will smiled. Hannibal might have been a hunter, but he’d probably even come fishing with them. They could all bond together. Then he’d insist on cooking. Hannibal did always like to show off his skills.

“Hannibal likes to cook?” Nina asked watching as Will threaded a bead and tied it onto the hook as well.

“Hannibal loves to cook,” Will chuckled, “He use to throw the most extravagant dinner parties that people would just rave about. He could put this hotel’s food to shame if he had the mind to.” Looking to Nina he let her know, “I’m sure he’ll teach you to cook, among other things.”

“Do you cook?” Nina asked, after she nodded. She’d like to learn to cook. She felt like her total culinary skills consisted of boiling water for ramen.

“Hannibal tried to show me how to cook like he does, but unless it involves a grill Hannibal shoos me out of the kitchen after the prep-work,” Will told her with a wry grin.

“I can maybe boil water,” Nina admitted, “I tried to make a baked potato once and I made it into coal.”

“Left it in the oven too long?” Will asked a little stunned at that.

“The microwave. I guess I hit 60 minutes instead of 6 and then I forgot about it watching TV…” Nina said laughing good naturedly at herself. “I was only ten at the time, but still, that’s pretty horrible.”

“It’s okay,” Will told her as he scooted back to lean against the couch with her, laughing as well. “The first time I made macaroni and cheese, you know from the box, I accidently made soup. I didn’t know you were supposed to drain the water.”

Nina smiled, “I guess Hannibal has his work cut out for him.”

oOo

Will allowed Nina to pick a movie for them to watch when Hannibal still wasn’t back, and ten o’clock hit. Some anime that’d come out a while ago. She’d been interested, and it’d held his attention well enough. Nina fell asleep though, leaning on the other armrest of the couch. His hand rested on her ankle as he let the movie play, just in case she woke up.

It was almost over when the door opened. Nina moved a little, but she didn’t wake up. Carefully taking his hand from her he stood to meet Hannibal in the hallway. He was wearing different clothing, his hair was disheveled, and if Will didn’t know Hannibal better he’d suggest they leave London immediately. “So he worked tonight?” Will asked.

“He did,” Hannibal said as he shrugged out of his jacket. “I contacted Chiyoh and she’ll come by Thursday to take our pictures for the new passports. She’ll send them to my contact, and bring us our things when they’re done. Anyway how was your night? What did you two eat?”

“It was good, and we ate nearly every appetizer on the room service menu, there’s some left overs in the fridge if you’re hungry.” Will said as he followed Hannibal into the room. “She fell asleep watching a movie.”

“Did she eat better than she did at lunch?” Hannibal asked as he hung his coat and pulled out some pajama pants. He hoped there wasn’t left overs because she wasn’t eating.

“After I assured her she’d know if either of us were angry with her, she ate like herself,” Will explained as he pulled off his shirt, leaving an undershirt as Hannibal undressed as well. “She was worried that she’d done something wrong, but we weren’t telling her she had.”

“Did you tell her how severe our anger would be?” Hannibal asked as he pulled on the soft black pajama pants he picked.

“She knows Hannibal,” Will sighed, pulling off his jeans, and leaving his boxers, “She’s not afraid one of us will take her over our knee.”

Hannibal chuckled as he gathered their clothes to put in the hamper in the bathroom, “No, I suppose she’s not afraid of that.” He put them away before heading into the living room, Will following behind him. “She’s doing remarkably well though.”

“You expected her to do well,” Will said moving to walk beside him. “She wouldn’t still be here if she wasn’t doing well.”

“She’d still be here, she just wouldn’t be allowed outside,” Hannibal told him as he stopped and turned to look at him. “Just because this is going well does not mean I didn’t make plans for it to go roughly.”

Will could see Nina from where they were, still sleeping on the couch. Their things were still on the coffee table just out of his sight. “We’re going to ruin this girl’s life,” Will lamented.

“We’re going to give her a new one,” Hannibal insisted, reaching out to grip Will’s shoulder. He knew Will would have doubts, and would think about letting Nina leave. They couldn’t let her leave though.

“She wants to learn, and grow, but she wants to learn to fish and cook!” Will’s outburst was loud, but he didn’t care. If she woke up it wouldn’t change anything. She already knew what was at stake. She’d have to learn sooner or later that what Hannibal said to her was not an idle threat. It was a promise.

“She’ll learn both,” Hannibal hushed him. “The prey will just be more formidable than a trout.”

“What if she doesn’t want that?” Will asked reeling in the volume of his voice, but it didn’t take any of the venom out of it.

Hannibal’s eyes darkened, but he didn’t get to comment when he noticed Nina sit up on the couch. Will noticed too, and after Nina stretched rubbing at her eye she knew something was wrong. She crawled up to her feet and ventured closer.

“Did something happen?” Nina asked once she was in front of them.

“No Little One,” Hannibal said reaching for her with his free hand. She moved closer so he could hold her arm as well. “Will is just worried that you’re unhappy,”

“I’m okay,” Nina insisted before she could stop herself. She’d had a relaxing time with Will tonight, and she’d actually enjoyed shopping with Hannibal in the beginning even if she thought she’d been spending too much. She liked holding Hannibal’s hand as they walked, and sitting with Will, quiet and comfortable…

Was she okay?

Will frowned. She’d been genuine, but now her confusion over it showed.

She didn’t know how to feel about being okay with them.

Will reached out pulling her to him, and Hannibal shook his head a bit as he laced his fingers through both of their hair. The two of them were so sensitive…

oOo

Hannibal sighed as he turned on the couch, sliding his leg behind Nina before he pulled her against him. She kept drifting off and then shaking herself awake. She tensed against his chest for a moment but relaxed soon enough. He wasn’t terribly interested in the movie, but it was okay. Nina picked it, though she’d tried to get out of it by going to get in pajamas. Now they were watching a WWII movie about the crew of a tank. He suspected she picked it because she thought they’d like it.

Will was slowly sliding lower and lower on the couch as well. Pushing him with his foot Hannibal tried to get Will to lean into Nina, but instead he huffed and leaned against the other side of the couch. “Stubborn,” Hannibal grumbled against the top of Nina’s head.

Nina blinked tiredly moving to look up at Hannibal questioningly. Hannibal looked across the couch pointedly at the other man, getting her to look as well. Nina frowned. That didn’t look comfortable… Would he be laying here if she wasn’t in the way? Nina sat up at that thought. “I’m in the way.” Nina insisted looking at Hannibal, realization dawning on her swiftly, trying to get up even though she was caged between his legs.

Hannibal chuckled. She really didn’t understand. He let her stand but captured her hand when she went to disappear on them. “You are not in the way,” Hannibal told her as he reached over and gently shook Will to wake him back up. “There just needs to be more space.” When Will looked at him he said, “Come on let’s get in bed.”

Will grumbled and picked up the remote, turning the TV off. He frowned when he found Nina looking very small, holding Hannibal’s hand. Her pajamas were small shorts and a very tight tank top, and she just looked so little blushing like that as she looked between him and Hannibal. He wasn’t entirely sure why she was blushing like that though. “Did you scandalize her?” Will asked, surprise lacing his tone, his eyes widening.

“She scandalized herself thank you,” Hannibal said giving Nina’s hand a soft squeeze. When Will didn’t seem to quite understand he gave a toothy grin, explaining, “She realized that she was laying where you normally would be.”

Now Will felt small, and very uncomfortable as Nina looked up at him shyly. He normally would have been laying against Hannibal. He hadn’t wanted to lean on her though, probably making her uncomfortable, so he’d leaned on the armrest instead. Then she made it worse and went and said, “I didn’t mean to get between you two… I should have sat in the armchair…”

Well she didn’t make it worse so much as Hannibal made it worse by saying, “You’re not between us, you’re with us. Both of us.”

Will wanted to say something, but he didn’t know what. Nina’s face was definitely a little pink, and the floor seemed to be suddenly interesting. Quickly Will leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, no more than a peck. It wouldn’t have been as hurried but it would have been something Hannibal would do. Nina even gasped a little her free hand flying up to touch where his lips had been.

oOo

Nina blinked open her eyes, with a frown. She was still tired, the room was still dark, and she didn’t know why she was even awake. Tilting her head back Nina found Hannibal asleep in front of her, and taking stock of the rest of her body she could feel Will pressed up against her back, his forehead pressed between her shoulders. He must have been asleep too because his arm was flung across her hip. Moving a little Nina held her breath, to stop herself from gasping, as she found a leg firmly pressed between hers. A quick look down told her it was Hannibal’s, but she didn’t get to try to move further because Hannibal hugged her closer. Behind her Will grumbled sleepily and wiggled closer.

How was she going to sleep like this?

Maybe if she woke him up a little she could get him to move.

Her hands were pinned between them, and one of his was under her head, while the other was over her as well. It occurred to her that he might be reaching for Will with that hand, so he could touch him too. 

She should have slept alone.

They’d offered to let her go to the other room, but she hadn’t wanted to. She didn’t want to wake up knowing she could just slip out. This was the easiest way to make it to Saturday… She’d keep telling herself until that was true until it was. She didn’t want to think about this. Still… here she was, right in the middle of them…

Squirming a little Nina tried to see if that would cause him to move, but all she accomplished was making herself shiver and feel very awkward and warm. Forcing a warm breath out through her nose Nina decided she’d have to actually wake him. She couldn’t just stay here, so Nina whispered, “Hannibal…”

Hannibal didn’t move, but he was no less awake. Getting these two into bed tonight had been the most vexing ordeal yet. Will had wandered around moving this and that on the desk, and Nina had stood by trying to be inconspicuous. When he’d suggested she might like to sleep in her room she finally gave in and got in bed, getting Will to follow close behind. This was one of those happy accidents, them tangling up in each other, but after Nina’s fidgeting woke him he was quite interested to see what she’d do.

She had squirmed enough that he had to restrict her movement less she wake up Will, and simply slip away. Now when she moved she’d moved just the right way to rile herself up and it wasn’t helping his restraint either. He’d kept their touching platonic, and even let Will be for now, only getting the quickest of kisses when Nina was still asleep this morning or when she was in a different room. It was no wonder she caught on, Will always looking thoroughly harassed when she walked back into a room. He’d have to be more gentle with Nina, but this little bit of teasing would give her a taste, and a little push in the right direction.

When he didn’t respond she said his name just a little louder, but he still pretended not to hear her. Her thighs tightened around the one he had between them and Will pressed closer, trapping the hand around her back between him and Nina. He let her stay there for a few moments, but the next time she said his name it was a little louder and more desperate. If he kept her much longer he might scare her with his reaction.

He let his body jolt just the slightest before looking down at her. Even in the limited light he could see her embarrassment clear as day. “Nina?” He asked keeping his voice low as he moved around a little, letting his leg slide from between hers.

“I… I need to get up for a second…” Nina breathed. She needed space, and she definitely needed the restroom. Just not to go to the bathroom…

“Oh,” Hannibal said simply, kissing her forehead before he sat up and moved out of her way. She quickly crawled around him and he watched her scurry off into the bathroom, a grin touching his lips. Looking over at Will Hannibal was only slightly surprised to see Will looking back at him.

“It’s hard to sleep with someone’s leg between yours _Dr. Lecter_ ,” Will whispered matter-of-factly at the older man, eyes narrowed. They both knew he only called him Dr. Lecter when Will was particularly displeased with him… and they had the luxury of being in private.

“Is it?” Hannibal asked feigning innocence, before grinning a bit more saying, “I wouldn’t know.”

Will turned over onto his other side saying, “We better be careful what we teach her Dr. Lecter; that girl is young enough to give us both a run for our money.”

Hannibal didn’t reply, but he didn’t think he’d mind that too terribly much.

oOo

Nina knew she couldn’t spend too much longer in the bathroom, but it was really embarrassing to have to clean up proof that she’d basically been rubbing herself against Hannibal’s leg. She didn’t want to face him knowing that it’d be written all over her face. She’d never done anything like that with someone, and to wake up to doing it without realizing it…

When she finished washing her hands Nina reluctantly walked out of the bathroom. Hannibal was still sitting up, and she walked over to him, her head ducked down. She hoped that maybe he’d just let her crawl back into bed, but of course that’s not what happened. He lifted her chin, but he looked calm. He wasn’t sneering like she feared, but she supposed she knew he wouldn’t be.

“It’s okay Nina,” Hannibal told her softly, leaning in to touch his forehead to hers. “You’re allowed to feel good.”

Nina shook her head at that pulling away from him. She didn’t feel that way. How was she allowed to feel good at a time like this? What was she even doing sleeping between them?!

“Why not?” Hannibal asked letting her step away from him. Her arms wound around her middle and she looked off to the side, away from him. Behind him Will shifted and propped himself up on an elbow to see what was happening.

“Because I’m not supposed to be here!” Nina insisted, trying not to whine. She avoided looking at them for all she was worth. She couldn’t look at Hannibal knowing that he got Will to agree to being with him. She couldn’t look at Will knowing that he knew, at least to some extent, what it felt like to be standing where she was standing.

“And yet, here you are,” Hannibal said as he stood, but didn’t move closer to her.

“I want to go home!” Nina shouted, finally looking at Hannibal. She caught a glimpse of Will sitting up all the way, but it wasn’t him she felt she needed to convince. “I just want to go home!”

Hannibal frowned at that, but he wanted to smile. Tears were brimming her eyes, and she sounded so desperate… but not to go home. “Oh Nina…” Hannibal breathed stepping closer to her, only she shot back from him until she hit the wall.

Now Will frowned and meant to. He wanted to tell her not to run like that. Even disappearing in on herself was as good as running away from a wild animal with Hannibal. He’d chase her and drag her back to him. “It’s okay Nina…” Will tried to sooth her as he stood up too.

“No it’s not,” Nina cried shaking her head. It wasn’t okay. Hannibal saying her name like that wasn’t okay. Them looking at her like that wasn’t okay. “I want to go home!”

Hannibal moved closer, too swiftly for her to make it passed him. His arms caged her in as he put his hands on either side of her on the wall. “Nina…” he called her name softly, but she still wouldn’t look at him. “Nina, you _do not_ have to go home.”

It felt like he’d punched her in the stomach, she even jerked a little. Nina tried to push back against the wall more, but she was as close as she was going to get. Her hands fisted in her shirt since her arms were still wrapped around her stomach. She didn’t want to hear that! She couldn’t hear that!

“You are allowed to stay with us,” Hannibal said against her temple. “We want you here,” he whispered against her cheek. “You don’t have to go back,” he breathed barely an inch from her lips.

Nina whimpered, not knowing what else to do. Her hands left her sides to grip at his, but she wasn’t sure if she was trying to pull him closer or push him away. Hannibal pressed his forehead to hers after a moment though, and Nina did pull him closer ducking her head against his shoulder. He pet the back of her hair for a moment before Nina finally managed to talk again. “I’m not tired anymore…”

“Come, I’ll make you some tea,” Hannibal offered only letting her go after she dropped her hands from his sides. He walked out of the room first to get started, and let Will try to settle her further.

Nina stood there for a moment, before looking to Will. She didn’t say anything, she just waited for him to speak. When he did, he told her, “He’s right you know.”

“It’s selfish of me to want to stay,” Nina mumbled, feeling hopeless. “It’s not the right thing to do.”

“I spent a lot of time trying to do the right thing,” Will said as he moved closer to her, though he left her an escape if she felt she needed it. “I jumped off a cliff trying to do the right thing, and it didn’t make a damn bit of difference. I’m still standing right here, and you’re still standing right there. I’m going to save you some grief and pain and tell you, with Hannibal, you might as well do what feels good. Otherwise he’s just going to torment you until you do.” Will could see her thinking it over, and quickly added, “He’s using the kid gloves with you now, but soon they’re going to come off. Trying to hide the truth from him has never worked in anyone’s favor, especially when you’re trying to hide it from yourself too.”


	11. Ups and Downs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have some hopefully exciting news! I have a three day weekend and to celebrate in a way I'm going to update tomorrow and Monday as well! So keep an eye out!

Nina slowly found herself awake, and she just kind of enjoyed being warm. She remembered them having tea after everything, which had been a mostly silent affair that they all started to fall asleep during. Nina had tried to deny needing anymore sleep when they started to notice the sun coming up, but Hannibal and Will weren’t having it. They’d each taken a hand and led her down the hallway and back into bed…

Which is where they all were now.

She’d squirmed around onto her belly at one point and now Will and Hannibal were both practically laying on top of her. In front of her was Hannibal’s chest, and his arm was definitely over her, and tangled in her hair. Below that she could feel Will’s stubble against her shoulder blade where the tank top moved. There was more than one leg over her too.

Neither seemed to be moving and it gave Nina time to think. They insisted that she could stay. That it was okay not to go home. Will told her that she might as well do what felt good… What would feel good wouldn’t be the right thing though.

Nina sighed, and Hannibal’s hand flexed in her hair. Tilting her head back a little she looked up to find him looking back at her. Softly, and unsure, Nina whispered, “Hey…”

Hannibal smiled, “Hello.”

“I’m sorry I kept us all up last night,” Nina murmured not wanting to wake Will if he wasn’t already.

“It’s quite alright,” Hannibal chuckled softly. “I expected you to have some trouble adapting.”

“I don’t… I still don’t… know what I should do,” Nina told him, wanting to be honest.

“It’s only Wednesday,” Hannibal said, moving his hand from her hair to brush her cheek, “We still have time.”

Nina stilled as she felt Will move against her back. Only he settled with his head facing the other way. Then she frowned. A question suddenly occurred to her but she didn’t want to ask it. Instead her eyes followed Hannibal’s hand as he brushed her hair from her face. She’d noticed the scar the other night, but she hadn’t dared ask that question either. Maybe he’d tell her though…

“How did that happen?” Nina asked motioning her eyes towards the underside of his wrist and forearm. She knew there was another on his other arm. Really they were both covered in scars, she had noticed a few on Will as well, but she hadn’t wanted to pry at the other hotel, and here she’d been afraid to be interested in them. She had been afraid that it’d make her want to stay… more… knowing them.

“How do you think it happened?” Hannibal asked curiously, noting the hand belonging to the arm curled up between them flex.

“I think someone hurt you,” Nina answered truthfully. She wanted to touch him, but she didn’t want to wake Will. Even after they’d laid down her and Will had laid there awake, just watching the other. The last thing she remembered was his eyes, so he must have lasted at least a little longer than her.

“Why?” Hannibal pried with a ghost of a smile.

“I think if you had decided you were finished, you would have succeeded,” Nina mumbled, not entirely sure why he was smiling, but she chose not to comment. “Even then, I can’t picture you as the opting out kind.”

“You’re right,” Hannibal told her as he laced his fingers back through her hair. “Someone else cut me.”

“Did you kill them?” Nina asked suddenly, before she could back out.

“Do you really want to know?” Hannibal asked moving down so they were eye to eye. “You have tried to avoid asking these kinds of questions since we made our deal. At least about information we haven’t already given you.” She had asked Will why he had been trying to kill him but he knew from the way she would look at them that she tried to avoid asking them questions. Denying her curiosity about them.

Nina angled her head down a little more so she wasn’t looking him in the eye “I want to know…” she breathed after a moment, before she looked back at him, “If I’m going to stay – and I’m not saying I am – I’m going to have to live with it. I want to know these things.”

“No, I didn’t kill him myself, but I made sure the person that showed up to save me did,” Hannibal offered, shifting closer so he could touch his forehead to hers. “I couldn’t have him out and about.” At the time he couldn’t let Will have that kind of agency in the world.

Nina closed her eyes asking, “What are we doing today?” Yes, she was changing the subject, but she’d done her best. She asked a question, a dangerous question. She was trying. She wanted to try and know them better. She was allowed to stay, but she didn’t have to…

At least that’s what she was telling herself.

“What would you like to do?” Hannibal asked with a smile as he watched her open her eyes again. He moved back just enough so they didn’t have to be cross-eyed. He’d allow her free reign as long as she was showing interest in spending time with them.

“I want us all to do something together…” Nina said, even though she wasn’t sure what. However, she frowned saying, “but, I guess we can’t go anywhere then…”

“Why not?” Hannibal asked as he took his hand from Nina’s hair to brush at Will’s as he started to wake. They all needed to spend more time together that didn’t consist of disagreements or sleeping.

“Someone has to make sure that my friends don’t find us?” Nina asked more than said. Wasn’t that why Will hadn’t come shopping with them? She didn’t understand how today could be any different.

“Oh Nina,” Will mumbled as he hugged her to him more. After all, he knew how today was different.

“What?” Nina asked trying to move so she could see him even though he was buried against her back. It was just something in the way that he said her name. It made her nervous.

“They weren’t looking for you,” Hannibal told her as he moved closer as well.

It felt like her heart stopped. Nina stilled under them as she thought about what she just learned, looking pointedly at the bed. No one was looking for her. She’d been gone since Sunday night and they didn’t have the common decency to even look for her! Did they tell her parents? Even if they told her parents that she ran away they would insist someone look for her. “What were they doing yesterday?” Nina asked, her voice tight.

“They went to the Tower of London, and to lunch,” Will spoke against her shoulder. He’d told Hannibal over the phone when Chiyoh had been watching Nina. He had seethed, growled, and resisted the urge to walk over there and ask them what the hell they thought they were doing. Nina was missing in a strange country, and claimed to have run away even though she was barely brave enough to order for herself at a restaurant. He too wondered if anyone had contacted Nina’s parents.

Nina bit at her lower lip as she thought. Then she insisted, “I want to use the laptop.”

“Why?” Hannibal asked, as Will moved to sit up.

“I want to see what they’re saying,” Nina told them as she moved up to sit on her knees.

Hannibal looked up at her before sitting up himself. “We’ll let you look, but we’re going to have to be there to make sure you don’t do anything you shouldn’t.”

oOo

Nina’s hands fisted against her knees as she looked at the screen. She’d checked facebook since her phone had been thrown away, not even knowing if they’d resort to messaging her there. They didn’t know her phone was gone. They had, but it wasn’t the only thing they’d done…

“They hacked your account, and they’re pretending to be you… so your parents won’t know you’re gone,” Will said as Nina scrolled through a couple of messages. One or all of them claimed she had strep, so they messaged her parents every night to check in with them. Her parents were sorry she was sick on her big trip…

“They didn’t even have to hack it,” Nina said, her voice wavering, “My laptop is at the hotel, and it logs on automatically when you go to the site.”

Nina checked the messages from her friends. Emily was pissed, Anya just wanted to know why she’d run away, and Helen was angry and confused, but still just wanted to know if she was okay. Emily’s mother was another story. She insisted that if Nina didn’t return before their flight they’d have no choice but to leave her there. They’d tell her parents that she’d run away the night before the flight.

Hannibal rested his hand on her back, but she shot up off the couch insisting, “I’m taking a shower and then I want to go somewhere. I want both of you to take me,” she eyed Hannibal in particular as she added, “and I don’t want to pick where we go.”

Grinning Hannibal looked up at her saying, “As you wish.”

They watched her go before Will said, “It’s like they just gave her to us.”

“Does that make you feel better or worse?” Hannibal asked as he stood to get ready as well.

“Both…” Will sighed. “Better for taking her, worse for what she’s feeling.” He knew that Nina had to have felt abandoned, knowing that no one was going to come and save her. He had.

oOo

Nina grinned as they walked from the tower of London. “That was great,” Nina insisted happily to the men on either side of her. She’d been leery at first, coming to such a public space, but it had been fun. Eventually she had the confidence to lead them where she’d wanted to go. When she wouldn’t they had all try to follow the other when no one was trying to go anywhere. She even got them to follow her around on her quest to see as many of the ravens as she could find. “Except when that raven got angry at Hector…” Only she still couldn’t help but chuckle.

She’d had to say their fake names over and over again in her head so she didn’t slip up. She’d been about to say Hannibal when they first got there, but when his eyes hardened on her she turned it into Hector her head snapping around to look at Will instead. He had held her hand for a while after that, walking between her and Hannibal for the first time.

“The sign said not to feed the birds!” Will insisted even though he still smiled a bit. It was funny in hindsight.

“You could have tossed it a chip,” Nina huffed, though she still smiled, especially when Hannibal captured her hand. “Did you like it?” She asked him as she looked up at him.

“Yes, I enjoyed our outing,” Hannibal smiled down at her. He’d have much to think about and draw when they returned home, but he suspected that Nina would creep her way into his drawings. The cheeky smile she gave Will when the raven started to caw at him, or how proudly she grinned when she already knew this or that legend. Perhaps his favorite was how eagerly she listened when he taught her something new.

“Hector?” Nina asked looking to him as he moved closer to them.

“I had a good time,” Will assured her with a nod and a crooked smile. He might have liked Nina’s reaction to everything more than the actual exhibits, but it’d been fun anyway. Nina skipping off ahead of them in her quest to see everything, sometimes only to hurry back to them when she felt they’d gotten too far apart.

“Where are we having dinner?” Nina asked enthusiastically, looking up at Hannibal.

Hannibal longed for his own kitchen, in their own house, where her question would instead be what was for dinner. Maybe one day she’d be bold enough to ask _who_. In any case he told her, “There’s a restaurant nearby that I think we’ll all enjoy, even Hector.”

“You say that like I have no taste at all,” Will said defensively, as they walked together.

Honestly he picked the restaurant because of the casual clothes they were in from their outing. Still it was fun to tease Will. “You did let our little one eat nothing but hors d'oeuvres for dinner last night instead of getting an actual meal,” Hannibal said as they made it back to the car.

“I told you that he expected us to go somewhere,” Nina said with a light grin of her own as Hannibal opened the back door for her. They shared a conspiratorial glance, only when they both looked back at Will he looked fairly surprised for a moment.

“You too Nina?” Will huffed out a laugh, “I’m gonna sleep in the other bed tonight, finally get a bed all to myself!”

Hannibal had definitely seen some of himself in Nina.

oOo

Nina brushed her hands at her jeans as she walked out of the restroom of the restaurant they were in. Those things that blew air on your hands never got them all the way dry. She carefully stayed in the hallway leading out to the actual dining area as she did this, simply because she suspected Hannibal wouldn’t approve. Only her attention was swiftly diverted from her hands as someone grabbed her shoulders.

Her eyes widened and her voice got caught in her throat as she looked up at Tony, Ms. J’s boyfriend.

“You have been a very bad girl Nina,” He snarled, his voice low as he shoved her back into the bathroom. She lamented that it was a single person bathroom as he locked it. “And running off with Hannibal Lecter of all men.”

“I… I don’t know…” Nina tried to lie but the back of his hand caught her across the cheek.

“Don’t think I don’t know who those men are. Just because the papers said they were dead, didn’t mean they were really dead,” Tony hissed grabbing her face to make her look at him. Only, when all he saw was confusion cross her features he couldn’t help but laugh. “You don’t even know who Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter are do you? You don’t even know the kind of monsters you’re in bed with do you? You naïve, foolish, child.”

“Th-they’re going to wonder where I am,” Nina whimpered. She just wanted to get out of here. She didn’t want to be here. She wanted Hannibal and Will.

“Oh Nina, Nina, Nina, you didn’t run away did you?” Tony asked, suddenly understanding just what was happening, letting her face go, but crowding her back against the wall. “They liked you too huh? Pretty little thing, I bet they just wanna _eat_ you right up.”

“They said not to be too long,” Nina insisted, shrinking in on herself. “We were just waiting for the check.”

Tony paused thinking about it, looking at the girl he was shoved up against. After a moment he told her, “You’re going to go back, but tonight at midnight you’re going to run away, and go back to the other hotel. They must trust you if they haven’t come knocking yet. If you don’t, then I’m going to kill Emily’s mother, and take your friends. If that’s not motivating enough then I’ll come for your monsters, and kill them, and then take you from them anyway.”

“What are you going to do if I do come back?” Nina asked, knowing better than to just take a deal presented to her. Hannibal had been proud when she’d questioned him. She wouldn’t stop now.

Tony smiled wickedly, “Maybe if you’re good you can save some of them yet. Definitely Dr. Lecter and Mr. Graham. You’d be such a pretty sacrifice. Maybe pretty enough to save some of your friends even. After all, you’re good enough for Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham.” He licked her cheek before adding, “That must make you special.”

Nina held her breath glaring up at him. She tried not to think about what was happening. She wanted to go back to Will and Hannibal. They would protect her.

“Go, before they do come knocking,” Tony said stepping away from her. “Don’t tell them what happened, that really would make you a bad, bad girl. Telling your monsters to kill for you. If you leave them, I’ll leave them alone too.”

Nina forced herself not to run. She unlocked and opened the door, scrubbed at her cheek, and walked quickly out of the hallway. Hannibal and Will were standing near the door now. She made her way over, trying not to seem desperate in the middle of the restaurant and all those people. Still they knew something was wrong. Hannibal’s eyes searched the crowd behind her despite his lack of reaction, but Will frowned and immediately took her hand.

oOo

They tried to ask her what was wrong, but she wouldn’t answer them.

After that the ride back to the hotel was silent.

The walk up to the room was silent.

It was silent until Hannibal shut the door, and Nina couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“I don’t want to leave!” Nina cried even though she was backing away from them. They were both coming towards her and she didn’t know if they were angry, but she hadn’t meant for this to happen. She didn’t know how this could have happened!

“You don’t have to,” Will breathed keeping his hands up a bit, palms out, trying to be unthreatening.

“What happened when you went to the restroom Nina?” Hannibal asked pursuing her more earnestly, herding her towards the room they’d been sharing.

“He was just there!” Nina whimpered trying to slide past him towards the living room, but his hand shot out, fingers against the wall, blocking her path. She moved into the bedroom like he wanted, though she thought about trying to get passed Will instead. She’d never pushed Will though, and getting passed him meant getting out of the room to evade them. Her heart was pounding, and she couldn’t collect her thoughts, but all she wanted to do was explain. Only all that managed to come out was, “He already knew! I didn’t tell him anything!”

“Who Nina?” Will asked following them into the room. Only Nina darted into the bathroom in the front of the room, slamming the door shut before Hannibal could stop her. Hannibal almost got the door back open but she put all her weight into it and managed to click the lock into place when he momentarily lost his grip on the door handle.

“Nina, open the door,” Hannibal’s tone was firm, as he let go of the door, standing back near Will.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Nina keened as she moved as far from the door as she could, sliding down onto the floor.

Will gripped Hannibal’s arm before he moved forward putting his ear to the door. All he could hear was the faint sound of Nina’s whimpers and cries. “Nina…” He said just loud enough to hopefully be heard through the door. “Darlin’ you can come out. We want you to stay. We just want to know what happened. Who scared you Darlin’?”

“I didn’t tell him who you were!” Nina cried harder. They would think she told! She went and ran away, and they’d think she’d done something wrong, but she’d just been so scared. She didn’t want to be taken from them. She wanted to stay. She said it. She wanted to stay with them. They wouldn’t let her though! They’d make her go back! “He already knew!”

Hannibal moved up behind Will and said, keeping his voice gentle, “Nina if he knew who we are you need to tell us who he is.” When she didn’t answer he insisted, “Nina we can’t keep you safe if you won’t tell us who hit you.”

He’d seen the red mark on her cheek. He’d been furious, but whoever had followed her into the bathroom hadn’t walked out before Will urged them to leave. Nina whimpered some more, but he couldn’t hear anything else. After a moment he put his lips to Will’s ear, whispering what he wanted said to their scared girl in hopes of coaxing her out.

Will nodded before he said, “Darlin’ we aren’t angry at you. We believe you.”

“We just want to keep you safe, Little One,” Hannibal called out to her.

“Please open the door and talk to us Nina,” Will told her, patiently.

Nina got back up off the floor and moved closer to the door, but she didn’t open it. She knew what she had to do. She wanted to stay, but she couldn’t. “His name is Tony, but I don’t know his last name… He’s dating Emily’s mother…”

“What did he want?” Will asked as he got Hannibal to back up more with him.

“He wanted… me to go back… he said you two were dangerous…” Nina said wrapping her arms around herself as she looked at the door. “I… I told him no…” It was almost a lie.

“Nina, you can open the door now,” Hannibal told her softly.

This time she did. She half expected one of them to grab her but they didn’t. They waited patiently for her step out of the bathroom, then Will snatched her up, pulling her against him tightly. Hannibal moved around, his hand tangling in her hair. “I’m sorry…” Nina gasped against Will’s shirt.


	12. Stop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day number two of updates!

Nina showed them Tony on Facebook and Hannibal had been very closed off, only saying he’d been a patient some years ago. He was confident the man wouldn’t give them away, but after that he’d looked at Nina for a long time. Will was jittery, and Nina could practically feel something dark swirling around him. They’d each distanced themselves from each other. Hannibal drew, Nina wrote, and Will was doing something on the laptop. They were all in different seats, not touching for once.

Nina had never felt so alone in a room with them…

She couldn’t stay though…

A frown touched her lips when Will yawned. He closed his laptop, and Hannibal closed his sketchbook. Nina knew she’d have to say something. She’d have to tell them something…

When they both stood up Nina quickly told them, “I want to sleep alone tonight.”

Will looked like he wanted to say something but Hannibal beat him to it, saying, “Of course, have a good night. Don’t stay up too late, Chiyoh is coming tomorrow to visit with us.”

“Goodnight,” Will said quietly as he followed after Hannibal.

“G’night,” Nina called after them softly. She sat there watching the clock for a little over ten minutes before she got up and turned out the lights, and made her way to the other room. She turned on the light with a frown trying to decide what to do. The door separating their rooms was closed at least and Nina sighed. She moved around in the room, put her journal under her pillow. Then she went over to the closet, opened it… shut it. Then she walked into the bathroom. She was pretending to follow a normal routine before bed, though she really did brush her teeth. It would be pointless to pretend to do that.

Nina lingered a little longer trying to think about how long it really took her to get changed. After though she walked over, looked at her shoes by the door, before turning off the light and climbing into the bed. She pulled the blanket all the way up just in case they looked in on her. She’d wait until eleven thirty… then go down and get a cab to the other hotel… She still had the change from her outing with Hannibal. He wouldn’t let her give it back. He told her it was in case of emergencies… and this was an emergency…

It was only ten thirty though…

She tried to keep her mind occupied, but before she knew it she blinked, and when she opened her eyes it was eleven-forty. She jolted, looking around. The light under the door to the other room was off. Pushing the covers down Nina crept out of bed, only to pause to grab the journal under her pillow. Next she grabbed her shoes, and carefully padded out of her room. Thankfully the door was right there…

With the journal under her arm Nina slowly opened the door, glad that it didn’t squeak or groan despite how heavy it seemed. She was looking back at the other door making sure no one came out of it, but when she turned back around her eyes grew as she found Hannibal leaning against the wall opposite the door his arms crossed over his chest.

Fight or flight flared in her and flight won. She ran trying to make it for the elevator, but Hannibal caught her easily. She slammed back against his chest, and it was like hitting a wall. Nina didn’t yell, a small distressed noise left her though. He leaned over her, pressing her forward as he told her, deceptively soft, “You are going to walk right back into that room young lady, and we are going to have a very serious conversation about this.” After a beat he asked, “Can you walk into the room on your own, or do I need to help you.”

“I can do it…” Nina whimpered, holding her things so tight her knuckles turned white. She knew not doing it herself was not really an option.

“Good,” Hannibal said before he let her go. He watched her closely as she walked back over to the door. Hannibal opened it for them with his keycard, ushering her inside. Will was standing in the doorway of their room frowning as Hannibal took Nina’s shoes, setting them by the door. “I think this is a conversation best had in the living room,” Hannibal insisted when Nina merely held onto her gift.

Both men watched her walk towards the living room before they followed behind her. Nina stopped just short of picking a seat. Hannibal and Will both sat on the couch, and Nina got the feeling she was not welcome between them right now, so she remained standing.

“What did Anthony really tell you Nina?” Hannibal asked as he propped one leg up on the other knee. He was still wearing the red sweater and black pants he’d been wearing during their outing. Will was wearing a tee, and it seemed he threw on some jeans in the moments when the door slammed shut. “What made you think breaking our deal was the best option?”

“He said if I went back… he’d leave you alone,” Nina breathed looking at the coffee table between them. She swallowed, then looked at them for a moment, “I know he won’t let my friends go… I know he’s probably already killed Emily’s mom… but he said that if I went back to the other hotel he’d leave you both alone…”

“Nina.” Will sighed as he sat back against the couch.

“I didn’t want anyone to get hurt…” Nina said glancing up at them.

“Anyone? You already know that your friend’s mother is quite possibly dead, and he’s probably hurting your friends as we speak,” Hannibal said as he stood up, fixing her with a stern gaze. “Do you know what he does to pretty little girls like you, Nina?”

“Kills them?” Nina asked, tearing up, but trying to stay strong. Leaving was the right thing to do. He’d leave them alone and maybe she could even help her friends, save one of them at least.

“Only when he’s done with them,” Hannibal told her bluntly. He could practically feel Will tensing beside him. Nina needed to know what was at stake though. “He collects pretty young girls, and hordes them like treasure. Doing whatever he likes with them when he likes. You and your friends were too lovely a harem for him to pass up I suspect. Each of you with your different charms. I’m sure he intended you for different uses.” He’d been a patient from the courts when he’d come to Hannibal. Anger Management. Hannibal had thought him a suitable scapegoat for some time down the road. Maybe not for him, but perhaps for someone he wanted to spend more time with. It had just never turned out that way, and then the man slipped away. “Now he thinks you’re special, no doubt, and he’d commit much more unspeakable acts against you, than just _hurting_ you.”

“I didn’t want him to hurt the two of you!” Nina admitted stepping back from Hannibal as he walked around the coffee table. “You were both okay before me, and now I’m just messing everything up!”

Hannibal’s hand shot out, and gripped the back of her neck as he pulled her against him. Will was watching intently from the couch. She trembled under Hannibal’s touch as he said in a growl he picked up from Will, “Nonsense, we are the only wolves you’ll be getting into bed with Little One.” She was almost gone. That was not the game he wanted to play with her. Nina was new to the world, he wanted to see every reaction she had to every new experience. It was not enough to know she’d find his gifts like when Will found his heart. He wanted Nina’s life warm and safe in his hands where he could control how tightly she was held. Where when he put her down Will could pick her right up to take over.

Nina clung to Hannibal with one hand, her journal with the other, looking at Will as he perched tensely on the edge of the couch. She didn’t know what to do. “What if he comes after me?” she asked, because she didn’t know what else to do.

“God help him,” Will laughed, even though there was no happy lilt to the noise Will made. Nina felt like it sounded as if he was breathing fire. He stood then walking over to stand with them, his hand lacing into her hair with Hannibal’s.

“Sweet girl, if he comes for you no one will be able to help him,” Hannibal told her, his eyes dark as he looked down at her.

That sounded more like what Will meant to say, Nina thought.

oOo

Nina shivered as Hannibal’s hand played up her spine, under the large sleep shirt she’d chosen. It was not an unpleasant feeling, far from it. She squirmed a little, ignoring the heat she felt flush her face and belly, as she watched his face. He was somewhere else, thinking, and Nina suspected her back was taking the place of a harpsicord, or piano.

Will would sigh every once in a while, and the last time Nina had looked he was just staring at the ceiling, his leg thrown over both hers. Hannibal didn’t seem to notice that either…

She bit her lip, looking Hannibal over. She wanted to reach over and touch him, trace the line of his cheek, but she didn’t want to disturb whatever line of thought he was chasing. When his hand met resistance going further up her back, restricted by her shirt Hannibal blinked and then really looked at her.

“Am I keeping you awake?” He asked retrieving his hand from under her shirt. He’d been trying to sooth her, but then he’d wandered off in his mind palace, and Hannibal realized he’d been using her back as a piano. A glance over at Will found him watching them with some interest.

“I’m not tired,” Nina mumbled as she gave up on trying to fall asleep, and leaned up on her elbows, “But it felt nice.”

“Were you playing a lullaby on her back?” Will asked curiously, looking over Nina at Hannibal.

“Brahm’s to be exact,” Hannibal smiled as he gave up the pretense of even pretending to try to sleep, and sat up. “I remembered that I was trying to put her to sleep.”

“Where were you?” Nina asked looking back at Hannibal.

“A flat in Florence,” Hannibal told her as he tapped at Will’s leg so Nina could sit up if she liked. It seemed that none of them cared to pretend at this any longer.

“Was Bedelia lingering in a corner somewhere?” Will huffed as he moved his leg and sat up more, but he leaned back against the headboard.

“No, she lingers elsewhere in my mind,” Hannibal told him as he watched Nina shift up onto her knees before moving around to sit cross legged in front of them on top of the duvet.

She eyed both of them before asking, “Who’s Bedelia?”

“Bedelia Du Maurier, she was a colleague of mine when I was in the field of psychiatry,” Hannibal explained simply. He and Will had agreed that Nina could use a little bit of coddling. She didn’t need to know that Bedelia lived for days while they ate her, and she ate herself. At least not yet. Not until Nina felt more secure in her place with them. Will chuckled at the claim, but didn’t say any more on the subject.

Nina looked between them, frowning a bit. After a moment she crawled to sit in-between them, but she still wasn’t sure what she was doing. Just that she wanted to be closer to them. Hannibal put an arm around her, and Will actually took her hand as they sat there.

Hannibal looked down at her for a long moment, and he couldn’t help but think about her running from him. When she looked up at him, he hadn’t thought about it, he just captured her chin and slanted his lips over hers. She responded cautiously, and her inexperience showed, but she was no less endearing. He softened his approach wondering if she’d ever been kissed before. When she pushed closer he took it as an invitation to go further and nipped at her lower lip. Her free hand gripped at his pant leg for a second when he gained entry to her mouth before she released him.

She quickly moved her hand from his thigh instead hugging her arm around her middle as she tentatively rubbed her tongue against his. She tried not to squeeze Will’s hand too hard, but he still gave hers a little squeeze back. When Hannibal pulled back from her he was smiling softly at her, but she didn’t have time to dwell on anything because Will touched her jaw leading her around to his lips. 

His kiss was softer, but his tongue found hers faster. Will gripped her hand more firmly, as he tasted her. They pulled apart faster, but Hannibal had no intention of stopping there it seemed. His hand tangled in Will’s hair, pulling him more roughly to him. When they kissed Nina couldn’t help but grin, and even kissed Hannibal’s shoulder. At least she wasn’t in their way.

Hannibal noticed her grin at him kissing Will when he pulled away, and pulled her into another. The hand not still tangled in Will’s hair trailed up her thigh, then back down when he ran into the hem of her shirt. Will’s free hand rubbed at her sides, and when his fingers brushed against the side of her breast she gasped against Hannibal’s mouth.

Will grinned and his mouth fell to her where her neck met her shoulder, leaving open mouthed kisses. He teased at touching her, feeling her squirm. The closer he got, the fiercer Nina and Hannibal’s kiss became. He cast a glance down to where Hannibal’s hand was on her just in time to see his fingers dip to the inside of her thigh, so very close to disappearing under the long shirt she wore.

Nina jolted, as Will nipped at her neck, and Hannibal nipped at her lip. She felt torn between pressing forward into Hannibal, and back into Will. She wanted them to be closer. To be touching more even though it already felt like they were touching her everywhere at once. Then Will’s fingers brushed a nipple over her shirt and Hannibal’s hand cupped between her legs as he buried his face against her hair, and she… she needed to stop!

It was too much!

She couldn’t…!

“I-I need to sst-stop,” Nina whimpered, trying to pull away from them.

They both stopped touching her immediately. Hands jumped away from her, they leaned out of her immediate personal space, but they didn’t move much further than that. Nina quickly moved back to where she’d been though. This time she sat on her knees looking at them. She gripped at the blankets under her, trying to sort out her feelings. Trying not to feel like she was vibrating. She couldn’t tell if this was still wrong. It was all happening at once.

“Nina?” Hannibal asked gently. When she looked at him he said, “Can you tell me why you needed to stop?”

“I…” Nina tried to start, but she didn’t know what to say. She wanted to get up, but she didn’t want to. It felt like her chest was had a weight on it and she couldn’t get up. Her whole body felt hot. It was just too much… “I… I’ve never…” Admitting that didn’t make her feel any better though, and they both seemed to realize at the same time that they were the first ones to ever touch her.

“Did we do something you didn’t like?” Will asked watching as she shifted and took deep breaths. It occurred to him that while she’d told them to stop, she might not tell them if she didn’t like something. Nina could very well just try to build up a tolerance to anything she didn’t like.

Nina shook her head, breathing, “It wasn’t that.” It felt so good, and now that it wasn’t happening she felt ridiculous for needing to stop.

“Was it just too much?” Hannibal asked, realizing she’d just gone from zero to sixty at what was probably an alarmingly fast pace for her. When she nodded he sat back more, taking a deep breath himself. “You’re okay Little One,” He assured her, giving them time to calm down.

“We’ll always stop when you need us to,” Will told her as he leaned back as well.

When after a while Nina still didn’t feel better, in fact she felt even more self-conscious, she looked pleadingly between them. Will immediately looked at Hannibal at a loss, and so Nina followed his lead. Hannibal sighed at them before holding his arms out for her. Nina immediately moved over to him. He tucked her carefully under his arm, sliding them down a little more.

Hannibal looked to Will but when he didn’t move closer of his own accord Hannibal grabbed him by the back of the neck and dragged him closer. Will gently leaned into Nina, and her breathing finally started to fully steady. Then Hannibal whispered to her, “It’s okay if you need to stop, we won’t leave you alone just because you need us to stop touching you like that.”

Embarrassed Nina pressed her face to his chest, but it did make her feel better to hear that.

oOo

It took a while but they eventually dozed off. Hannibal woke to his phone ringing and snatched it up hoping to let the other two sleep. Will’s eyes opened anyway however, though he kept his head pillowed on Nina’s stomach. Nina grumbled against Hannibal’s side, her lips soft against his skin. He glanced at the number before answering, “Hello Chiyoh.”

_“Nina is officially a missing person,” Chiyoh told him as she sat in front of her computer looking for all the information she could faster than the news reporter playing in the background could offer it._

“And her friends?” Hannibal asked as he brushed his fingers through Nina’s hair.

_“They are also missing,” Chiyoh sighed. “The mother of one of the girls is dead, they haven’t determined if the boyfriend is also missing or responsible. At least no one is saying whether or not they know.”_

“I think it might be time that we come join you at the townhouse,” Hannibal said as he patted Will’s shoulder and motioned for him to get up. “We’ll take the pictures there, and I’m going to make arrangements to move on. First somewhere outside of London, and then somewhere outside of the UK. Please put a rush on our papers for me after they’re taken.”

_“Of course, would you like me to find somewhere for you to stay in the country?” Chiyoh asked, yes for Hannibal, but also for Nina. The young girl did not deserve what was happening around her. She hoped the country would afford her some peace._

“If you would start the search I would appreciate it,” Hannibal said as he watched Will move around the room collecting their things. They would call down as soon as he was off the phone claiming a family emergency. They’d hurriedly get dressed, pack everything, and as long as no one was an avid watcher of the news at three in the morning their leaving would still be noticed, but not overly so. “We’ll be there in less than two hours.”


	13. Expectations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was going back through and I noticed that this chapter was missing a whole chunk in the middle... and every time I tried to edit it the chapter kept cutting off so here we're going to try again.

Hannibal walked back into the suite to Will holding Nina against him in her bedroom. It was probably best that he said that his and Will’s father was in the hospital. It gave them all a reason to be upset, and it was urgent enough to be checking out at almost four a.m. He walked over and relieved Will to finish packing for Nina, and whispered to her, “It’s going to be okay.” He couldn’t say anything more specific with the bellhop in the front hall of the suite loading his and Will’s luggage onto the cart.

After a few moments Will was finished, and Hannibal told her to get her journal from under her pillow. Then he helped Will carry her bags out to the bellhop who was already standing by for the next things. Nina stood in the doorway after she retrieved her journal watching as Will got his computer bag from the living room and Hannibal took one last look around to see if they missed anything.

Nina felt like it was all a whirlwind, and guilt was eating at her more and more. She should have tried to leave again. She should have done something… Maybe if she’d called the police last night before trying to leave…

Hannibal’s arm wound around her in the elevator, pressing a kiss to her temple. It effectively silenced her racing thoughts. She remembered once more that he was supposed to be her dad to everyone else. Nina pressed her face to his side, and he held her tighter. He felt like a shield against the world, and she was grateful for that. When they got out of the elevator she had to walk on her own though and the feeling seeped away. She hugged her journal to her chest, and tried not to look around too much, like she’d been told.

Will tried to explain that she’d look nervous if her eyes were darting everywhere especially in a deserted hotel. He told her that him and Hannibal would keep an eye out that she needed to keep her head down, and her eyes on them. She did just that. She’d spent her whole life with her head down and her eyes on the person taking the lead. Her nerves were frayed though.

The bellhop and the valet loaded their luggage into their already waiting car. They were the only ones considering the hour and that the sun wasn’t even up yet. Hannibal drove, Will took the passenger seat, and that left Nina all alone in the backseat. She buckled her seatbelt and curled in on herself feeling very worn out.

She kept her eyes on Hannibal and Will though, sliding from the back of their heads to Will in the side view mirror, and Hannibal in the review. They looked somber, but not worried. How she imagined warriors did before fighting an arena they’d seen too many times to count. Really no reason to worry anymore, but the knowledge that they might not win this time hung heavy in the air.

Hannibal’s eyes caught hers in the mirror for a moment before he looked back out at the road saying, “It’s okay to close your eyes.”

“When we get where we’re going,” Nina insisted stubbornly, looking out her window. She returned to her thoughts as she let her forehead rest against the cool glass.

It was Thursday… It was barely Thursday. It felt like she’d been with them for weeks, but it had only been a few days. So much had happened, and it was still happening. She didn’t see an end to this in sight…

oOo

Despite her stubbornness Nina was asleep by the time they got to the townhouse Chiyoh was staying in. Will pulled Nina up into his arms taking her up first as Hannibal and Chiyoh grabbed the luggage. He shouldered the door back open all the way and walked down a few steps into a living room. He put her down on the couch, moving her journal to an end table, before hurrying to finish grabbing the bags.

“I took the top floor,” Chiyoh said as she walked down the steps with Hannibal instead of starting up to the second floor like she normally would. “However I set up the bedroom down here for you and Will should you have needed it, so it’s ready for you.”

“Thank you Chiyoh,” Hannibal nodded as Will came back down with the last of the bags. “You can go back to sleep; we’ll settle in.”

“I’ll see you all later today then,” Chiyoh nodded back before she turned and headed up to the door and then around and up to the second floor.

oOo

Nina stretched as she opened her eyes, before she settled back against Hannibal. His fingers combed through her hair as they laid there, and Nina wondered how long he’d been awake. She couldn’t feel Will behind her either. Nina really didn’t want to move, but she knew she should let Hannibal up. He probably wouldn’t let her stay in bed much longer anyway. “Do I have to get up now?” Nina asked looking up at him.

“Will would probably appreciate it,” Hannibal nodded even though he continued to brush his fingers through her hair. “He couldn’t wait any longer and is probably pacing in the living room.”

Nina laid there for a while longer before asking, “What’s going to happen?”

“You’re going to have to be more specific Little One,” Hannibal told her as he watched her sit up. There was a lot going on, she could mean any number of things, and he was not one to show his hand when he didn’t need to.

“I can’t go home now…” Nina mumbled even as Will opened the door. He had looked ready to talk, but instead he just stepped in the room and shut the door.

“Can’t?” Hannibal asked knowingly as he sat up as well.

Nina shot him a dark look but quickly reigned it in when his look hardened back at her. “Won’t.”

“Better,” Hannibal nodded, purposely patronizing her.

“I don’t want to, okay? I don’t want to go home,” Nina insisted, remembering to keep her voice down so she didn’t disturb Chiyoh wherever the woman was in the house. Then she mumbled looking down at the bedspread over her legs, “I want to stay with both of you.” Will came over and sat down at that, smiling a bit when she looked over at him. This wasn’t exactly what she wanted to know about though. “What about Tony… he said… he said you’re both supposed to be dead.”

“As long as he isn’t caught I think we’ll stay that way,” Hannibal said even though he looked towards Will meaningfully. His eyes fell back down to Nina asking, “What else did he say?”

“Nothing else really… He said you’re Hannibal Lecter, and you’re Will Graham…” Nina sighed, “He realized that I didn’t run away, and said that I didn’t know what kind of monsters I’d gotten into bed with. That if I left you he’d leave you alone too…” Nina paused pulling her knees up to her chest as she breathed, “He said telling my monsters to kill for me really would make me a bad girl…” Her lip curled at the end.

“Is that what you want?” Hannibal asked keeping his voice and face neutral so he didn’t sway her one way or the other.

Nina tried to read him. She tried to figure out what he was thinking, but he just looked at her. She looked at Will, who was glaring at Hannibal. Unhelpful. Looking down at her lap Nina didn’t know what to say. She knew what she wanted to say, but she didn’t know if she should. Instead she did the safest thing she could think of, she asked her own question. “Do you think my friends are still alive?”

“Unless one of them pushed him to far, they’re probably all still alive,” Hannibal told her keeping his neutrality. He craved her answer though. He wanted to know what was swirling around in that mind of hers.

Only…

Sensing she might actually get what she wanted, noting how Will was holding his breath, Nina mentally back pedaled. “I don’t know what I want,” Nina said, knowing she was copping out on them. Will stood at that, his breathing subtly returning. Nina took the opportunity to get out of the bed before Hannibal could stop her. Nina quickly found her luggage and started rooting around for something to wear. She could feel Hannibal’s eyes following her, but she didn’t look at either of them until she had everything she needed including toiletries to take a shower.

“What if he was right outside the front door?” Hannibal asked before she could tell him that she was going to shower.

Nina held his gaze mulling over every possible answer. She knew what he wanted to hear now, but she still looked at Will. His eyes were glued to Hannibal. Looking back at him she sighed saying, “I would expect him to die one way or another.” It wasn’t exactly what Hannibal wanted to hear, she knew, but he didn’t look disappointed in her reply either. Then not giving him a chance to question her further Nina turned and opened the door, leaving the room.

oOo

When Nina walked out of the bathroom she wasn’t surprised to find Hannibal there. He didn’t move, and she knew what he was waiting for. She hoped Will was behind him, but he wasn’t. Nina looked up at him, lifting her chin almost defiantly. Just she wasn’t sure who she was defying in that moment. “I would expect you to kill him.” Nina huffed.

“Would you?” Hannibal asked with the barest hint of a grin twisting the corners of his lips up.

“You told me that if I broke our deal you would rip my heart out and eat it, and you at least like me,” Nina said making it a point to keep eye contact with him, even though she wanted to look away. “If you didn’t open the door and do something worse to him…” She looked away then losing her confidence as his gaze turned more heated.

Hannibal didn’t need her to continue. He stepped forward, brushed some of her wet hair back from her face as he leaned down to breath against her ear, “You’d be terribly disappointed in me, wouldn’t you?”

Nina nodded.

“Will and I could find him,” Hannibal told her, kissing her temple. “He doesn’t have to find us.”

Nina’s chest tightened. Where was Will?

“We’d gladly do it for you Nina,” Hannibal hummed as Nina faltered in front of him. She went to move closer, but moved back just as fast. He leaned back up to his full height to watch her more easily.

“I don’t know.” Nina whispered, though she wasn’t sure why she felt the need. When she looked up at him she knew he wanted her to explain, so she tried. “My friends. They’ll be there. They’ll be alive. Will and you will be there, and they’ll know your faces, remember you from the hotel, and I can’t imagine that would be acceptable.” Nina paused just long enough for Hannibal to shake his head. “If the police find him, then he’ll tell. He’ll tell just to spite you both, and I know that. I want you to kill him, but not them. I want him to be found, but not if he’s going to tell. If I get what I want, then I can’t have what I want.”

“That’s a catch 22 if I ever heard one,” Will said from down the short hallway.

“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” Hannibal agreed.

oOo

Nina found herself at the table with Hannibal, Will, and Chiyoh eating a salad topped with chicken after all of that. They all talked about what could happen, and the pros and cons of the country while she picked at her food. Something about staying in the woods was mentioned. What kind of monster did this make her though? Leaving her friends behind. Not doing a thing to help them…

“What do you think?”

She thought she was a terrible person that’s what she thought.

Nina looked up when no one else spoke after that and she realized that really was directed towards her. There were a few problems with this. One she didn’t know what she was even supposed to be thinking about, let alone what she was supposed to think of it. Two, and probably most important, she wasn’t even entirely sure who had asked her the question. Floundering, she looked to Hannibal in what was probably a rather pathetic manner.

“Chiyoh asked what you thought about staying in a cabin,” Hannibal let her know. He knew she was distracted. It was doubtful she heard anything they’d been talking about.

Nina still blinked at him for a moment, but after she managed to process the question she said, still a bit confused, “I’ve never been in one, but I’m sure it’ll be nice…?” Did she really have a say in this? She was sure that her wants and needs would be taken into consideration, but only once they were there.

Chiyoh smiled a bit explaining, “I ask, because there will be some distance between each cabin, and there’s no guarantee that the other cabins will even be occupied.” Of course she knew that no one had been in the hotel room with them, but she wanted Nina to understand that she did not just have to make enough noise and eventually someone would investigate. They had been alone, but not truly.

This all dawned on Nina very suddenly. “We’ll be alone…” Nina nodded her understanding, her eyes sliding from one man to the other. Looking back at the woman she said, “That’s fine. I mean I’m going to stay with them. I didn’t expect that we’d just move from hotel to hotel.” They hadn’t hurt her thus far, and while she believed that they wouldn’t she also understood that she couldn’t really know.

“So you’ve made up your mind?” Chiyoh asked curiously.

Nina nodded again. “I was trying not to… but yes, I made up my mind.”

oOo

In making up her mind Nina sent them all into a whirlwind of activity. It was decided that they’d head down to the cabin, all of them. First Hannibal, Will, and Nina. Then the next day Chiyoh would join them. Chiyoh had to pack, Hannibal and Will headed out saying they needed some things for the trip, and Nina was left to entertain herself. Later they’d all have to take pictures for their new identities, so they’d have all the proper identification wherever they went next.

Wandering up to the second floor where the kitchen was Nina found Chiyoh drinking some water. She almost wanted to go back down, but they’d be together in the cabin too. Sucking it up, Nina stayed on her mission to get something to drink. She walked over to the cabinet holding the cups, retrieving one, and then headed for the refrigerator some milk.

“You don’t need to be nervous Nina,” Chiyoh told her gently when she noticed the girl glancing to and from her quickly while she poured herself a drink.

“I’m trying…” Nina mumbled embarrassed replacing the milk. “Did… did you really shoot Will?”

“He was going to stab Hannibal,” Chiyoh explained as she walked over to the small kitchen table and had a seat.

Nina walked over and sat opposite her with a small frown. “They really hurt each other, didn’t they?” Nina asked sinking down in her chair.

“They did,” Chiyoh nodded as she placed her hands on top of the table. She’d witnessed their recovery together, and at first even as hurt as they were, she worried they’d kill each other should they have managed to move. It had taken most of their recovery for them to calm down and really forgive each other. Chiyoh hadn’t been sure when it happened exactly, but finding them curled carefully around each other in bed had been a relief when neither of them were bleeding. “They learned some hard lessons together.”

“I… I still haven’t shown them,” Nina said after they sat there together for a while.

“You will when you’re ready,” Chiyoh told her, reaching across the table to take Nina’s hand. “You don’t ever have to, but if you want to you can.”

“I’m ruining everything though…” Nina breathed. “What if something happens.”

“You are not ruining anything,” Chiyoh insisted firmly, “They chose you, they saved you from that man without even knowing it. They want you, and in their own way they want what’s best for you. They’ll keep you safe, and so will I.” She hadn’t had the chance to protect Mischa, but she could do something for Nina.


	14. Talking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter is okay, especially the beginning of it, I just wasn't sure how to approach this one.

Nina grinned as bounded over in front of Hannibal as he pumped gas. Will had taken her into the little convenience store to get some snacks for the trip and the bag bumped against her hip as she shifted her weight. Nina watched Will quietly, but smugly, slip back into the car. She on the other hand wanted to stretch her legs a little longer. Hannibal eyed the bag as though it were liable to bite him, before he asked, “Do I even want to know what you’re about to put in your body?”

“Nope,” Nina chirped, her smile turning toothy. “I got us each a bottle of water though, and Will got you a bag of almonds. I will quietly eat my junk food in the backseat, and you can be content in the knowledge that I want you to teach me to cook food that won’t turn my blood into sludge.”

“Quietly?” Hannibal asked, his eyebrows raising. They’d been talking for most of the trip, he didn’t see why she’d need to be quiet just because she wanted to eat junk. It didn’t make him feel better that she freely admitted what eating that garbage would do, but that didn’t mean she had to be silent.

“Will suggested I read the ingredients aloud for you, but I think you might drive us into a ditch,” Nina chuckled good naturedly, “Or worse take it from me.”

“Yes I think it’s best you refrain from telling me what’s inside that… food. If you can even call it that,” Hannibal nodded though he did shoot Will a look that suggested he would be the one in the extra bedroom. Will looked back at him with feigned innocence before he turned away laughing.

Nina smiled more gently before asking, “You will teach me to cook won’t you?”

“Of course,” Hannibal said as he replaced the nozzle and finished up. “Our faire will probably be simple while we’re at the cabin, but we should start with the basics anyway.”

“Will told you about the potato didn’t he?” Nina asked with a sigh.

“He did,” Hannibal let out an amused breath at that. “I’m sure you’ve improved since then.”

“I can boil water, and I’ve made cookies?” Nina asked not sure how much of an improvement ramen and following the directions on the chocolate chip bag was.

“Did you actually mix the ingredients for the cookies?” Hannibal asked tilting his head to the side.

“Yeah, I just followed the recipe.” Nina shrugged, she didn’t see that as anything particularly special. Anyone who could read and do some math could make cookies. “They turned out like cookies should.”

“Then you’ll do fine,” Hannibal smiled. That was half the battle. Will was capable of following recipes but it was obvious it wasn’t something he really enjoyed. He liked helping, but he didn’t care for doing it himself. As it was Will was more for cooking simply, clean and gut a fish, then throw it in a frying pan. He’d teach Nina to cook with a little more finesse.

oOo

“Have you ever played a drinking game?” Nina asked Hannibal as she leaned her cheek against Will’s seat. She leaned between the two front seats to be closer to them. It was going on the third hour of the trip and normal lines of conversation had mostly been exhausted. She’d even playfully, and spontaneously, read an ingredient from some of her junk food every now and then, but stopped when she failed to correctly pronounce one and Hannibal demanded she hand it over. He’d insisted if she couldn’t even say what she was putting in her body she didn’t get to eat it. Now Will was munching on the gummy snack after correctly pronouncing the word.

“No,” Hannibal told her, but smiled after, “Though Will did attempt to get me to play one while watching The Boondock Saints.”

“You actually watched that movie?” Nina asked her eyes widening slightly. Somehow she didn’t expect Hannibal to watch such a movie.

“I was in the room while it was playing,” Hannibal explained glancing at her before looking back out at the road. “I was drawing and the place we were staying in was exceptionally small.”

“He enjoyed it, no matter how much he pretends that he didn’t,” Will chuckled before pressing a kiss to Nina’s cheek. He was admittedly feeling a little ornery, and was pleased when she turned her head enough for him to press a proper kiss to her lips.

Hannibal scoffed, but he did change the subject, “Have you played one Nina?”

“Mmhmm,” Nina hummed pulling away from Will’s mouth, “Underage drinking at its finest. Kings Cup, Fuck the Dealer, and a couple of movie drinking games.” She didn’t particularly like alcohol but she’d been dragged in to a game here and there.

“Fuck the Dealer?” Hannibal asked with a grin, surprised to hear that particular word pop from Nina’s mouth.

“Yes,” Nina huffed, pouting slightly, “One person is the dealer, and you go around the table and have to guess the card, with one hint of higher or lower. If you’re right the first time the dealer drinks four times, if you’re right the second time the dealer drinks twice, but if you’re wrong you drink the difference. After the third time someone’s wrong the next person is the dealer. The further you get in the deck the easier it is to guess the card, and the easier it is to fuck the dealer.”

“Ooh she knows a dirty word,” Will teased grabbing her chin and giving it a little shake in a how cute manner. After he asked, “You ever had to drink the kings cup?”

“It was vile,” Nina nodded. “Two people were doing shots with their beer and thought it’d be great to pour it in there. It was basically battery acid. It was at Helen’s house when her parents were out of town, she just let me stay in her room when she realized just how sloshed I was, and how very uncomfortable that made me. Even drunk I don’t know what to do with myself…”

Hannibal glanced over at her, only to frown when he noticed her mood dropping. Nina, noticed, him noticing though and moved back onto her seat properly. “We were highly unsupervised,” Nina said as she leaned her head to the side to look out the window. “I’m surprised nothing worse happened sooner. Helen’s parents traveled so often, she basically lived in that house alone.”

“Where were your parents, Nina?” Will asked before glancing over at Hannibal who had a deep frown on his lips.

“Out, or at home sleeping it off. They were busy people, very social, very popular. I’m sure their bash if they were at one was a double fisted one too. The police never brought me home though, so I’m sure they thought they were doing brilliantly. Emily had a police escort home at least five times a year, but daddy was a cop and because he cheated on her mom and left her behind he felt guilty. He always got his buddies to let her walk.” Nina mumbled watching the world move by. “Anya’s parents were just naïve. Very rich, and very religious. They were the kind that thought, _‘Never my child’_ they thought she could practically walk on water.”

Hannibal looked at her in the rearview mirror for a moment, before his eyes returned to the road. He had to wonder if her parents even noticed her social anxiety. He had to wonder if they ever had the slightest notion that their daughter wasn’t always where she said she was. He looked back at her again before looking at the road asking, “Nina?” trying to prompt her to say whatever she needed to.

“We never really stood a chance…” Nina mumbled pulling her legs up to her chest as she leaned her head back.

oOo

Will went in on his own to check them in and get their keys when they got there, and everything went smoothly. Once in the cabin, their bags in their room upstairs with them, Hannibal had Nina gathered against him as he sat on the bed. She wouldn’t talk to them after that. Will tried his best to get her to talk about anything he could in the car, but she wouldn’t say a word. “Talk to me Little One,” Hannibal coaxed. Will was checking the perimeter and would be back soon, but he wanted Nina to come back out of her shell. Nina shook her head against him, holding him tighter. He considered his options for a moment before picking the one he thought might work the best. “Please… Please talk to me Nina.”

Nina shook her head again.

“Do you want to talk to Will instead?” Hannibal asked keeping a hold of her, moving them back further on the bed.

Nina shook her head even more.

Hannibal held her closer at that, nuzzling her cheek with his nose. He pressed his lips the side of her mouth, coaxing her into a kiss. Nina moved around on her own at that, her legs straddling his as she returned the kiss eagerly. She didn’t want to talk about this. She didn’t want to talk about her friends, and she didn’t want to talk about them. She didn’t want Hannibal to ask her questions and she didn’t want Will to ask her questions…

Nina pressed closer, only pulling back when she could hear the front door open and close. “It’s Will,” Hannibal told her, pulling her back into another kiss. He could smell the aftershave he bought him mixing with the fresh air. Her tongue played shyly with his in the meantime. She tentatively copied how he and Will kissed her. Her hands grabbed at the shirt he wore almost desperate. After a few more moments Will was in the doorway, then he came to stand behind Nina.

“Still won’t talk, hmmm?” Will asked pulling her head back gently, breaking their kiss.

“No,” Hannibal sighed before he kissed her neck, watching as Will crawled up onto the bed and took her lips. “I even said please.”

“She doesn’t want to talk,” Will huffed against her lips. “She just wants to feel something.” He could understand that whole heartedly. “She can talk later.”

“Is that what you want Nina?” Hannibal asked moving back further on the bed. Nina nodded following after him, and Will moved to their side. Her lips found Hannibal’s neck as she molded herself to him.

Nina just wanted to forget for a little bit. She’d felt good the last time. She could handle it this time. Nina didn’t mind when Will pulled her back from Hannibal’s neck, and minded even less when he attached himself to her neck. Hannibal grinned and she gasped as his hands softly trailed up and down her sides. Nina pressed one of her hands over his, making him press harder against her skin. She didn’t want to be treated like she was going to break.

She pulled on Will with her other hand and he started sucking on her neck instead of just mouthing at her skin. He’d leave a mark or two on her, but he didn’t want to go too far with her. She wanted to feel, but she’d still have her limit he figured.

Hannibal found her lips, nipping as he kneaded her skin his long fingers brushing her breasts and thighs. He tested her limits. Noticed every time she pushed closer and pulled away. He particularly liked when Nina was torn between who she wanted to lean into. Leaning down he joined Will in marking her. Will’s hand held one of hers but her other found Hannibal’s hair pulling hard when he bit down. He didn’t miss the way she shuddered in his lap and let his teeth sink against her skin again. She tried to quell a noise, but the needy sound bubbled up anyway.

Will licked at her neck, before kissing her cheek.

“Hey Darlin’,” Will breathed against her cheek. She turned her head just a bit, trying to give him a kiss, but Hannibal became more earnest at her neck and she gasped. “Feels good don’t it?” She nodded and he moved, pulling her carefully from Hannibal’s lap, and teeth, so she sat between his legs instead. Hannibal’s eyes were dark when he looked at them and it made Will grin all the more.

Nina watched Hannibal as he moved up onto his knees before he leaned over her and Will. He kissed Will first, before he kissed her again. He kissed down over her chin and her neck only stopping at the neckline of her shirt. Her hands gripped at Will’s pant-legs, squirming. Will held her, but this wasn’t enough. It would have been enough last time, but this time it wasn’t. Hannibal hovered right at her clothing, and Will’s hands weren’t moving. Nina bit her lip before breathing out, “More…” When Hannibal looked up at her, and Will’s hands gave her a gentle squeeze she huffed, “Please more…”

Hannibal’s hands pushed her shirt up, then Will’s pulled it off, and after a slight pause they started in earnest once more. Will’s hands claimed her breasts, massaging them over her bra. Hannibal seemed intent on leaving more than one mark, the next on the side of her belly. He lowered himself onto his stomach after he kneed apart her legs, to settle between them.

Her hand found its way back to Hannibal’s hair, the other holding onto Will’s forearm. Nina let out a breath, trying not to make any more embarrassing noises, and her feet pushed at the bed…

Then Hannibal’s phone rang.

Growls left both men, and Nina whined. Will silenced it, pulling her into a kiss as Hannibal leaned up and pulled his phone from his pocket. “Chiyoh…” Hannibal greeted trying not to be rude. The woman didn’t know what she was interrupting.

_“I’m going to leave in a few minutes instead of tomorrow,” Chiyoh explained as she finished throwing the last of her things into a suitcase._

“What happened?” Hannibal asked as both Will and Nina looked at him very intently.

_“Someone broke into the house while I was out,” Chiyoh said as she balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder. She grabbed the case containing her sniper rifle as well as she headed downstairs. “My tablet is missing, there’s a possibility he knows where you are.”_

“Drive safely, we’ll just have to deal with it here then,” Hannibal sighed as Nina pulled her shirt back on. Once they’d hung up Hannibal got up from the bed insisting, “Let’s lock up.”

oOo

They sat in silence once more trying to pursue their own hobbies when Nina finally couldn’t hold it in. “I just left them behind!”

“That’s what they did to you!” Will snapped, his eyes falling on her instantly.

“I didn’t have to be like them!” Nina shouted back, snapping her journal shut.

“There’s nothing you can do for them! You wouldn’t even be dying _for_ them, just _with_ them,” Will snarled as he stood from where he sat at the kitchen table. The only thing separating the dining area from the living room was a few feet. “Is that what you want?”

Nina glared down at her lap, but didn’t answer.

Hannibal watched the argument silently. His pencil hovering above his paper. He’d intervene when necessary, but for now he’d let them shout at each other. It wouldn’t hurt for them to get this all out.

“Is it?” Will asked as he walked around the couch Hannibal was on, and over to the one Nina was sitting on. “Do you want to leave us and die with those girls who didn’t even have the common decency to go looking for you?!”

“No! No, I don’t want to die! I don’t want to leave!” Nina yelled, trying to keep her steam as she glared up at him the best she could. “I could have done something! I knew what he was going to do! I could have done something! I could have said _something_ to someone!”

“Called the police?” Will asked with a sneer that had him bearing his teeth. “You wanna know what would have happened? Do you?!” When she wouldn’t answer, and just looked somewhere behind him Will put his knee on the couch next to Nina, leaning over her and into her field of vision. “If we didn’t kill you, we’d have taken you to Chiyoh’s and kept you drugged and compliant. We’d be sitting here, but you wouldn’t have been sitting in the backseat eating junk food on the way up. You’d have been in the damned trunk. Hannibal would be chipping away at you. Poking and prying you apart just so he could put you back the way he wanted. You wouldn’t have to worry about your friends because you wouldn’t fucking remember them!”

Nina didn’t move, staring up at him defiantly. “Get. Off. Me.” Nina growled up at him. When he didn’t move Nina demanded, “Get off me you liar!”

“Liar?!” Will barked out.

Hannibal stood now, ready to break them apart, but stopped when Nina spoke.

“You’re lying! You’re a liar! If I called the police we all know that I’d be dead! You’d have killed me, and you would have killed me quickly, so Hannibal wouldn’t do it slow!” Nina yelled pushing at him. She barely needed to though because he shot away from her like she was on fire. He even moved to stand slightly behind Hannibal “I’m not stupid Will!” She yelled, before she hiccupped, trying not to cry, “When I almost called Hannibal by his name at The Tower you stood between us and held my hand so tight it hurt…” She glanced at Hannibal seeing his interest piqued, but quickly looked back at Will, “He looked at me like I imagine a wolf might look at a stray puppy. Trying to decide if it wants to eat it or not. You were afraid he was going to decide I was prey…” When they wouldn’t say anything after that Nina stood up mumbling, “I shouldn’t have said anything… it doesn’t matter anymore. They’re all dead anyway.”

Hannibal watched her walk over to the stairs, and hurry up them before he turned to look at Will. He still didn’t say anything, instead waiting for the other man to say something about what just happened. This is what came of not getting her to talk to them. Will had enabled her and now he was reaping the consequences.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Will insisted, “She feels bad for not dying! Worse she feels bad because no one is going to rape and kill her.”

“You felt bad that I didn’t kill and eat you,” Hannibal sighed remember feeling the exact same exhaustion dealing Will’s feelings. “Shall one of us threaten to rape and kill her? Did it make you feel better?”

“You don’t get to pull this with me!” Will growled walking back to the kitchen table. “I’m not going to play your mind games Hannibal. Go up and fuck with Nina’s head instead if that’s how you’re going to be.”

“It didn’t make you feel better,” Hannibal answered for him as they both moved to sit at the table, “because we both knew that I wasn’t going to do it. Nina knows better, just like you knew better. If that girl wanted to die she’d call the police, and she’d do it right when she’d get caught and she’d expect it.” Will went back to his fishing lure and Hannibal continued on, “She’s grieving her friends, and her old life.”

“At least she’s not letting herself believe they’re here too,” Will grumbled.

“No, but I’m sure her main character is just as alone as she feels,” Hannibal sighed as he tilted his head just enough to see her journal sitting on the couch.

“Do you think we’re the bad guy?” Will asked letting himself stop working, his fingers merely brushing over his supplies.

“I’m sure it’s not as simple as that,” Hannibal smiled when with a huff Nina slunk back down stairs.

Nina walked over snatching back up her journal, trying not to look at them. She tried, still she glanced at them, but she got stuck there as they watched her. Glaring she insisted, “I’m not wrong, and I’m not sorry.”

“No you’re not, and nor should you be,” Hannibal offered watching her calmly.

Nina deflated at that. She wanted to puff up, and be offended, but she couldn’t. It probably wasn’t a good idea to pick a fight with Hannibal anyway. She wanted to say something, but she didn’t know if she should. Well more she wanted to ask… Nina decided she might as well. She asked, “Am I prey?”

“You’re just young,” Hannibal smiled. “The adult wolves don’t eat the cubs just because they can.”


	15. Ours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last prewritten chapter, hopefully I'll finish the next chapter before next Saturday but if not it'll be updated as soon as the chapter is finished.

When Will opened the door to the cabin Chiyoh immediately asked, “Did anything else happen?” All she got was a grunt though, Will picking up her largest suitcase, and so she followed after him silently. When they came to the living room she decided that what was wrong was decidedly an internal squabble instead of outside forces. Will left her bag in the middle of the room and retreated to one couch while Nina sat positively pouting on the other.

Hannibal looked up from the kitchen and smiled exasperatedly, “Good evening.”

“Outside it is. Can the same be said for in here?” Chiyoh asked as she set down her bags, looking at the other two occupants of the cabin.

“They’re upset with each other,” Hannibal waved his hand dismissively at his statement. “They both wanted to help, but wouldn’t cooperate, so I sent them over there to work it out.”

“So, instead you’re both just sitting here,” Chiyoh asked the culprits as Hannibal started to finish up their meal.

“He lied to me, and then made fun of me for not being able to cook,” Nina huffed. Hannibal had even confiscated her journal and forbade them from turning on the TV, so here they sat.

“She’s being unreasonable!” Will threw his hands up, before pointing at Nina telling her, “I was protecting you!”

“You can’t protect people from the truth!” Nina shouted at him. “It’s just lying! Hannibal scolded me for lying, even though I was trying to protect the two of you, but here you sit completely unscathed!”

“I’m not a child!” Will growled with a very haughty grin.

“So you’re in the practice of giving children hickeys are you?” Nina seethed at him with her own dark grin. She would not let either of them have it both ways. Either she was an adult and they could do adult things together, or she was a child and she’d be sleeping downstairs in one of the twin beds in Chiyoh’s room.

That left everyone starring at a very flabbergasted Will, until Chiyoh looked to Hannibal asking, “You’re enjoying this aren’t you?”

“Dinner’s ready,” Hannibal chuckled as he started to plate their food.

oOo

“Hey!” Nina whined as Will speared a piece of her stake with his fork. He ate it before she could really react. She didn’t mean to, but she couldn’t help but laugh. Thus started a more lighthearted fight, the old one more or less forgiven by both parties.

Nina tried without success to get something from Will’s plate, but her reach wasn’t quite as long and every time she tried he swatted her hand with the back of his fork. Huffing slightly, she continued eating but her eyes stayed glued to Will and his plate. Hannibal sat at the head of the table, with them on either side of him, and when she saw his fork go for Will’s plate she went for it too. Hannibal got some steak while Nina got a piece of asparagus, but she was still pleased with herself.

Chiyoh chuckled tiredly at their antics. Will scowled playfully, but she could still see the pride in their eyes as they looked at the young woman happily munching on her stolen food. Chiyoh could see it. How they adored her, but more how she adored them. Even the disagreement between her and Will couldn’t stop them from grinning at each other.

oOo

Hannibal held Nina closer as she whimpered in her sleep. Will’s eyes blinked opened tiredly before he scooted closer too, wrapping an arm around her as well. Nina started to struggle between them before they both started to whisper to her. Will telling her she was okay, Hannibal trying to gently wake her from whatever nightmare held her tighter than them.

With a strangled desperate noise Nina forced herself awake. At first she struggled more against those holding her, afraid of those in her nightmare still hanging onto her. Hannibal and Will kept talking to her though, and when she really heard them she clung to them just as hard. Hannibal kissed her forehead, but before he could say anything more Nina cried, “He’s going to get me too!”

“It was just a nightmare,” Hannibal breathed against her hair, his eyes darting to Will’s.

“We won’t let anything happen to you,” Will breathed against her shoulder.

Nina shook her head, sobbing. “He’s going to hurt me!”

Hannibal held onto Nina as fiercely as she was clinging to him. He could see Will shaking with the effort to not hold Nina so tightly that he’d hurt her. “We’ve got you,” Hannibal told her knowing full well that there were probably none who would be quite so comforted by that thought as Nina. “We’ll never let you go.”

It took what felt like forever, but Nina calmed down. She felt exhausted, but didn’t want to fall asleep again. “Please… please don’t let me go…” Nina mumbled as she used an arm to hug at the one Will had wrapped around her torso. “I don’t want to leave.”

Will wanted to reassure her, but frantic knocking sounded from downstairs. He was out of bed first, he threw on a pair of jeans and his shoes, but being easier to cling to Hannibal had to start murmuring reassurances to her. She wouldn't let him go. Will spared him a glance as he retrieved his hunting knife, and a handgun Chiyoh had loaned him, but he headed downstairs still.

“No one is going to take you from us,” Hannibal told her as he pulled them up to sit. He would have to go downstairs too if something was going to happen. “I have to go with Will, Nina,” Hannibal told her as he cupped her face in his hands, “I need to protect him too.”

Nina released him with a nod, but she didn’t say anything. She couldn’t. She wanted them to stay, but they couldn’t. She tried keep still as he moved away from her. He listened by the door before he quickly set about putting on sturdier clothes. He even looked to Nina saying, “Get into some jeans, and a long sleeved shirt.”

“Is something happening?” Nina asked trying to stay calm, though she couldn’t remove the quaver from her voice. Even as she asked her question she got up to do as he said.

“Not yet,” Hannibal told her as he pulled on the same things he told her to. Once he was finished, his harpy in hand he told Nina, “Stay by the door and listen in case you need to get out of the cabin.”

Then he was gone. Nina hurriedly finished getting dressed and stood against the wall near the door. Only the next thing she heard was Emily’s voice.

“Please don’t hurt me!”

Nina fisted her hands by her sides. This was terrible. Why was she here? Nina couldn’t face any of them, let alone Emily…

“Then I suggest you tell him the truth,” Hannibal’s voice carried up the stairs, and Nina shrunk back. She knew Hannibal was not one for idle threats. If he said it he meant it.

“I want to see Nina!” Emily shouted. “I won’t tell you anything until I see her!”

Nina shook her head even though no one could see her. There was a long pause that had her worrying her lip with her teeth, before Hannibal called for her, “Nina, come down here please.” She knew that while he said please, this was not a request. This was not like earlier where he let her refuse to talk to him. Forcing herself forward Nina moved out onto the landing but paused there. Hannibal could see her and if Will were to turn around he’d be able to, but she couldn’t see Emily or Chiyoh…

Hannibal waved her forward and it was enough to start her down the stairs. She didn’t want to do this, and he could see it all over her face, and the way she held herself. Her eyes ducked down and when she finally made it next to him he set a hand on her shoulder.

“You.” Emily seethed, glaring at her as Will moved to stand on Nina’s other side.

Nina’s eyes shot up to look at her. One of Emily’s eyes was ringed with a bruise, there were livid marks around her neck, and her hair was disheveled and dirty just like her clothes. Nina noticed Chiyoh behind Emily with her rifle raised.

“You just left us behind!” Emily yelled at her.

Nina bristled at that. She hadn’t expected to, but she did. “Isn’t that what you did to me?!” Nina shouted back. She’d been abandoned by the only people she knew on this side of the world, and alone except for the people who took her. No one had been with her, she had to rely on Hannibal and Will. They could have done anything they wanted, they didn’t have to stop when she said stop. She’d woken up not knowing anything but that she’d gone out the night before. Worse she’d hoped someone would look for her, but her friends were sightseeing and having lunch. Oh, sure, now she was being looked for, but by the police, and only because the rest of the girls were missing too.

“It’s not the same! It’s your fault no one looked for you! Always running off back home!” Emily screeched as she stormed closer only back pedal when both men stepped forward. “This is all your fault too! You knew what was going to happen to us and you did nothing!”

“I tried!” Nina felt like all the air had rushed out of her lungs at once.

“No you didn’t! He said you were having lunch with them! It was a restaurant full of people! All you had to do is yell! Someone would have helped you!” Emily yelled gesturing wildly.

She couldn’t have done that.

Hannibal would have seen her as prey.

Like a fox seeing a rabbit scurrying through the underbrush.

Nina knew she couldn’t say that though; it wouldn’t make a difference to Emily.

Emily just kept right on yelling anyway. “You were having lunch! Here you are in nice clothes! Do you know what I’ve been doing?! Do you know what I’ve been wearing?!”

Hannibal saw Nina falter at that and insisted, “That’s enough.”

“Enough?! It’s never going to be enough!” Emily yelled at him, “I’ve been sucking the dick of the man who killed my mother, and wearing nothing! Here she is being coddled by the likes of you!” Her eyes turned to Nina as she told her, “You’re a monster. Just like them.”

“That’s not -!” Nina started, but Emily cut her off.

“Not what?! Not true?!” Emily laughed, dark, manic. “You’re too weak to defend yourself, so let me tell you what kind of monsters you’re letting fuck you. He was the Chesapeake Ripper,” Emily pointed at Hannibal, “That was before they knew who he was. Now they call him Hannibal the Cannibal!” She pointed at Will then, yelling, “And he used to be an FBI agent! That’s before he went crazy! Before Hannibal the fucking Cannibal drove him crazy.”

It was like all of the air was sucked out of the room.

Nina looked up at Hannibal as his hand tightened on her shoulder. He looked ready to do harm. His dark eyes set on the girl who use to be her friend. Looking back at Emily Nina insisted, her voice shaking, “You…n-need to leave.”

“Not until you come with me!” Emily scowled storming towards her, even though the men were still there. “If I have to leave so do you!”

“She’s not going anywhere with you,” Will snarled stepping in front of Nina.

“She has to!” Emily yelled, desperate, as she glared up at the man in front of Nina.

“Why? So he’ll let you go?” Hannibal asked as he moved closer to the insolent girl. Nina noticed the harpy in his hand for the first time since he left the room upstairs. She thought briefly of trying to hold him back, but didn’t dare. “He wouldn’t let you go even if you did bring him Nina. He doesn’t let go of his toys, at least, not until he breaks them.” Hannibal snatched up Emily’s neck before she could get away telling her very softly as he pulled her closer to him, “And this is the part that will really make you angry, he’d still treat her better than you.” He didn’t react to Emily’s pushing and hitting he just tapped the flat of the knife to her cheek telling her, “She’d be special, and pampered, still hurt, but she wouldn’t be kept in a closet. All because she was mine first. All because you wouldn’t go down to tea with your friend.”

Emily’s eyes widened with recognition. For the first time she recognized them as the men from the hotel.

“You left her all alone with the Chesapeake Ripper,” Hannibal told her with a frown. “I wonder what they’ll call the man she’s going to leave you with?”

“No!” Emily yelled as Hannibal started moving her to the door. “No don’t make me go back! Nina! Nina he’s going to kill us! Nina please! Please let me stay!”

The pleading continued but Nina didn’t stay to listen she darted back to the stairs and up to their room. She couldn’t listen to what was happening. She couldn’t watch it happen either.

oOo

When Hannibal walked back upstairs he looked down to find Nina sitting against the wall near the door. She glanced over at him, but didn’t say anything. She would have to talk to him this time though. “You may not run away,” He told her his gaze on her sharp.

“I’d rather it be you and Will…” Nina breathed into her knees.

“We’re not going to rape you,” Hannibal sighed as he moved around to stand in front of her. He wouldn’t even play coy with that.

“That’s not what I meant,” Nina said looking up at him sadly.

“Oh,” Hannibal let fall from his lips, “I see.”

“How would you do it?” Nina asked unable to stop herself.

Hannibal was struck with a sudden sense of deja vu. Abigail sitting on the kitchen counter clouded over his vision of Nina sitting on the floor. He blinked though and Nina was looking up at him, exhausted, but curious to know his answer. “Are we assuming you’ve not betrayed me or Will?” He asked as he crouched down before her. After all they both knew what would happen then.

“We are,” Nina said, nodding.

“It would depend on the circumstances,” Hannibal started as he brushed some of her hair behind her ear, “still, I think I’d strangle you.” He had truthfully not thought of killing Nina at any great length. Just a passing thought here or there, and the angry flash of images that presented when they’d made their deal, that had prompted him to tell her he’d rip out her heart. Still if it had to be done he’d want to be that close.

Nina sat for a long time after that before she asked, “Did… have I eaten anyone?”

“No, Chiyoh bought the chicken you ate yesterday, and you saw the package the steak came out of tonight,” Hannibal told her as he moved back up onto his feet, and held a hand out for her. “A lot has happened as of late, and the last thing I wanted was for another ripper to pop up in London, and it garner the attention of an old friend back in the states.”

“Did someone kill Emily?” Nina asked not taking his hand yet.

“Will is tracking her back to wherever they’re hiding. Chiyoh is with him,” Hannibal said as he waited patiently for her to accept his help up. After a moment more she took his hand and with his help stood up. Then he told her as he pulled her against him, “I’m here to protect you.”

“Does it make me a monster that I still don’t want to go home?” Nina asked as she clung to him. She wanted to be horrified by what she learned, but she wasn’t. She wanted something about this to hurt, but nothing did.

“It makes you ours,” Hannibal soothed, combing his fingers through her hair.


	16. No Rest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost didn't make it this week, but I did!

Nina leaned into Hannibal’s side as they sat in the silent living room waiting for Will and Chiyoh to return. He sat with his arm around her, and Nina held his other hand tracing the lines of his palm softly. He watched her touch him with such ease and care, and wondered where her mind was. Nina didn’t have the luxury of being able to walk through her mind, like he or Will could. She created worlds to slip into for as long as she could keep her pen moving. When her fingers paused against his skin he asked the same question she had asked him, “Where were you?”

“The end of the world…” Nina mumbled, sliding her hand to rest over his.

“What does it look like?” Hannibal asked lacing his fingers with hers. That was somewhere he couldn’t go. He could imagine just like anyone, but he could see like his old office, house, or even the Norman chapel in Palermo.

“Old, even though it isn’t. Broken, but still familiar. Like someone made a mess of the world, and like a child not wanting to clean its room didn’t bother to clean up.” Nina explained as she looked up at him. After a moment she asked “Have you read my journal?”

“No,” Hannibal told her as he looked out at the lake their cabin sat on. “I wouldn’t read it without your permission.”

Nina wanted to tell him he could read it, but she was nervous to let him. Maybe when they got past this she would let them. Instead she changed the subject. “Shouldn’t you be with Will?” Nina asked looking up at him. “Doesn’t he need you more?”

“He has Chiyoh, and his own skill set,” Hannibal assured her as he held her to him. “We couldn’t leave you alone, and if Will finds him out there he’s better able to deal with him. If he comes for you in here I’ll get to have some fun.”

“Fun?” Nina asked scrunching her nose at him.

“I still like to raise quite a bit of hell Nina,” Hannibal grinned down at her before he reached up to brush a thumb over her lip, “Maybe someday you’ll raise some with me.” He saw the objection flitter across her face, and he leaned his forehead down to hers insisting, “Not today. Not now.”

“Is it good or bad that Will and Chiyoh aren’t back yet?” Nina asked hiding her face against his chest. She wanted them to come back. She was getting so tired, but she didn’t want to fall asleep without them.

“They’ll be back soon,” Hannibal told her, leaning back against the couch with her.

“How do you know?” Nina asked holding onto him tighter, trying to stave off sleep.

“I know,” Hannibal breathed as he watched the darkness out the glass door. He cast his gaze to the side at the window next. Frowning he asked Nina, “Why don’t you go upstairs and get my sketchbook from the desk up there? I’ll show you some of my drawings.”

“Have you drawn me yet?” Nina asked pulling away from him slowly. Her body wasn’t too hard to move, but she still felt wobbly.

“I have,” Hannibal smiled helping her to her feet. He knew she was tired. She couldn’t go to sleep just yet though. “Go get the sketchbook and I’ll show you one.” Nina nodded at him, and he watched her go before he stood. He moved into the kitchen, so he’d have more to work with. He had his harpy, but he might need more than that.

Nina’s fingers just brushed the leather of Hannibal’s sketchbook when more frantic knocking sounded. She turned and ran leaving the book where it was. Nina nearly fell she took the stairs so fast, but once she was at the bottom she found yet another of her friends. Hannibal held Anya this time by the back of her shirt, as though he were carrying a stray cat by the scruff. The metaphor worked too. Anya was just as disheveled as Emily had been though her face was free of the bruising. Her wrists were bruised instead, there were cuts and scrapes on her arms and legs as she was wearing shorts. Some were probably from running through the woods, but others were definitely not…

“Please let her go…” Nina said, trying not to whine. She knew if she sounded weak Hannibal would play with her. As she was not the one in Hannibal’s hands she didn’t know how well the game would end.

“Are you going to call my little one a monster too?” Hannibal asked as he pointed the kitchen knife at the blonde in his hold. The last one had been so rude. This one wouldn’t be leaving if she was going to act like that. He wasn’t going to accept it just because they were once Nina’s friends.

“No!” Anya sobbed, “Helen was right! Nina didn’t run away!”

“Hannibal…” Nina tried to be firm, but she could hear the quaver in her own voice. She knew Hannibal wouldn’t do anything he didn’t want to. If he didn’t want to let Anya go, he wouldn’t.

“What does he want?” Hannibal asked not releasing the girl, though he did look towards Nina. She held the collar of the pajama shirt she wore looking very small.

Anya shook her head at first, but when Hannibal applied pressure to her throat with the butchers’ knife, she squeaked, “Nina! Nina! H-he wants me to bring him Nina!”

Nina’s eyes widened. “Don’t lie to him!” Nina insisted moving closer. Desperately she tried to get Anya to understand, demanding, “Never lie to him! Tell him the truth Anya!” Anya sobbed shaking her head and Nina stormed closer grabbing her arms, getting Hannibal to move the knife away, if only a little. Anya had to understand! “He’s not a nice man Anya, you have to tell him the truth! If you lie it’ll only make it worse!”

Why was everyone lying?!

What was the point anymore?!

What good could it possibly do?

“He wants you! You were supposed to come back!” Anya yelled at her. Hannibal shook her a little and she hiccupped, and cried, “He said he’d kill me if I told!”

“Hannibal is going to kill you if you don’t!” Nina yelled back at her as she dropped her hands from the other girl. Only that reduced her friend to choking sobs. When that happened Nina tried to backpedal, “You need to tell us, I need to know. Please. Please Anya, you need to tell us so we can do something about it.”

Hannibal sneered a bit before shoving the blonde around to look at him. “Tell me what he’s planning or I’m going to put you back outside,” Hannibal told her his voice deadly calm.

“No please!” Anya started, but when he went to drag her back to the door she got out, “He wants me to let him in! He wants me to let him in when you’re all asleep!”

“So he can kill you and Will,” Nina gasped stepping back away from Anya and Hannibal. She could feel her chest tighten.

Hannibal frowned as he looked over at Nina. That’s why she tried to run away, for him and Will. Then he glared at the girl he held, “Say goodbye to Nina.”

“No! No! Please don’t! Please don’t make me leave! I won’t do it!” Anya screamed.

He was only halted by Will coming in with Chiyoh behind him. Will snarled, “Another distraction?”

“What happened?” Hannibal asked as Chiyoh shut the door. He kept his hand on Anya keeping her from trying to go back into the cabin.

“We followed her for miles but she was just going in circles,” Chiyoh sighed. “We thought we were finally getting close when she started in another direction, but…” The woman stopped as she glanced to the two girls. Just like that it was obvious Emily was dead. That was it, the entire lead up, and then Anya just sobbed, becoming a quivering terrible mess.

Nina needed to know though, and asked, “But, what?”

“Someone, probably Tony, shot her,” Will told her over Anya, now, shrieking Emily’s name.

“Young lady I suggest you stop that immediately,” Chiyoh told Anya coolly. Anya gasped and managed to reel in the more high-pitched noises but Hannibal had taken to holding her at arm’s length.

“Would you like another go of it?” Hannibal asked, pointedly looking at Anya.

Nina’s chest tightened as she looked at her friend. She’d just be another sacrifice. Another lamb to the slaughter, all in the name of catching the butcher. Nina looked first at Will, then at Chiyoh as they seemed to think it over. When Will went to talk though Nina did the only thing she thought would save Anya from the same fate. She grabbed onto the sleeve of Hannibal’s free arm saying, “What if we get him to come here?”

Hannibal regarded her for a moment, even though he knew exactly what she was up to. “Explain yourself,” He told her, willing to give her a chance.

“Let Anya let him in,” Nina breathed feeling the weight of everyone looking at her.

It hung heavy in the air between all of them before Will asked Anya, “Where’s the other girl?”

“Helen?” Anya sniffled, realizing that she might not be put out the door just yet. “She’s in the woods with him I guess. He has a car.”

“How’d he know when Emily left here?” Chiyoh asked seeing Hannibal’s grip on the girl loosening even though his gaze on Nina seemed to harden.

“I don’t know… I was in the trunk, and then he let me out and told me which direction the cabin was in, Helen was in there with me…” Anya explained as Hannibal let her go. She shuffled away only stopping when she noticed Nina holding onto the very cross man who’d been about to put her outside.

Will frowned, then sighed, “He might not buy it, he could be watching us.”

“Then he doesn’t come in,” Nina insisted, carefully letting go of Hannibal’s sleeve, “Nothing lost, nothing gained…” Her heart ached. Except maybe Anya and Helen.

Hannibal resisted the urge to gather up the back of Nina’s shirt to man handle her back upstairs, if only because Will’s gears were turning and that would impede that. Instead he settled for glaring at Anya who shrunk away from him hastily. The girl being killed because she wasn’t trustworthy to Anthony anymore really would be nothing lost nor gained to them. Nina would just have one more friend to morn. She was not doing herself any great service by trying to hold onto the girl longer.

Will raced through scenario after scenario, turning back every time one of them died. Every time Nina got hurt. The only problem was, none of them took place in this cabin. They’d been standing here too long. They’d obviously planned this. Unless…

Will grabbed Anya by the neck, opened the door, and without further ado shoved her out. Nina jerked towards him, but Hannibal caught her arm. He looked around at their group before simply saying, “Third time’s the charm. We’ll wait for the third girl, and we’ll let her do whatever it is she was sent to do. We’ll just be prepared.” He could see Nina’s heart breaking where she stood, staring up at him betrayed. “There was no good outcome with her.” The girl didn’t even try to knock on the door to get back in, he suspected she’d try and get to another cabin.

“You just killed her!” Nina yelled at him before storming away from all of them.

They watched her go before Hannibal shook his head. “She thought she’d save that one,” Hannibal sighed.

“That girl was never going to make it,” Will mumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Her only chance is someone in a nearby cabin helping her. Then we’ll have different problems all together.”

oOo

Nina stood teary eyed in their room when they went upstairs to find her. She was shivering and at first Will thought it was from anger, but soon realized it was from trying not to cry outright. After a moment she held her arms out for him, and she looked so vulnerable. As though he’d deny her. He quickly moved over, gathering her against him.

“I’m sorry,” She cried against Will, trying to be closer to him. “It’s not your fault. You’re trying to do what’s best for all of us. I’m sorry. I don’t want to fight again.” Will hushed her, and rubbed her back, but she still felt completely hopeless about all of this. What good outcome could possibly come of any of this?

“She’s so tired,” Hannibal hummed as he stood behind Will, and cupped the back of Nina’s head. “Nina you should lie down now.”

“I can’t go to sleep,” Nina whimpered against Will’s chest. She looked up at Hannibal as he peered over Will’s shoulder insisting, “What if something happens?”

“Then we’ll wake you,” Hannibal told her as he rested his chin on Will’s shoulder. “Will, Chiyoh, and I will take turns sleeping. I’m first, but I want you to get in bed with Will.”

“We need you to get some rest,” Will breathed against the top of her head, gently rocking them side to side. Eventually something would happen and it would be best if she got sleep now.

oOo

Hannibal had just finished sharpening his pencils when Will and Nina came downstairs. Nina hovered at Will’s elbow even as the younger man looked down at her expectantly. When she wouldn’t say anything though Will sighed, “She won’t let herself fall asleep, and asked to come down here.”

“I see,” Hannibal sighed as well as he stood from the table and motioned to the couch. “Then lay down on the couch both of you. We’ll both be here. Nina you need to sleep.”

Nina didn’t have it in her to protest. Instead she let Will lead her over to the couch. He sat down in the corner of the couch, stretching out a leg along the back. She let him pull her down against him, but she watched as Hannibal gathered his sketch book and a pencil, sitting on the other sofa. Nina didn’t know what to say, she knew they wanted her to sleep, so she didn’t worry about finding the right words. She rested against Will and watched Hannibal as he started to sketch. After a while she suspected that he was drawing them because his eyes would keep flicking up to them every now and then.

Will’s heart beat in one ear and the sound of Hannibal’s pencil filled the other. It wasn’t long before Will’s breathing slowed, and all the while Hannibal kept drawing. Nina watched him, but it was a fight to open her eyes each time she blinked or they merely closed.

It was quite a while before Hannibal looked up to find Nina finally asleep. His picture of them was rough still, it would need details put in, but as of right now it was definitely his companions. It would be a while still before it was Will’s turn to take watch. He knew that Nina would wake when Will did, and he’d try coaxing her back upstairs.

He didn’t have Will’s training, but he still knew that they were in the open. Too many windows. Too many ways in. Even if they were waiting for the last girl, there was no guarantee he’d let all the girls go. He might want to keep one. If he killed them all then he’d have nothing to control Nina with. As much as Nina wanted to protect him and Will, she’d still believe they’d protect her in the end…

Of course… Even he could be wrong…

The knocking started once more.


	17. Everything's My Fault

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so I found something pretty bad in my fanfiction. There was a whole part of chapter 13 missing.... I wish someone would have said it made no sense at all towards the end there, but I fixed it. There was a whole really important part between Nina and Hannibal missing but it's there now. You might want to go back and read it. This is also why you're getting an update when it's only technically Saturday where I am... like 21 minutes worth of Saturday....
> 
> As for this chapter... It feels really abrupt to me, but I didn't know how to fix it. More is to come after this, just this needed to happen first...

Hannibal got to the door first. While persistent this knocking was not as heavy. He looked through the peephole to find yet another disheveled girl. He held his harpy just in case and opened the door. She stood there nervously until she saw Nina, then she rushed in throwing her arms around Nina.

“I knew you didn’t run away! I knew it!” Helen cried holding onto Nina for what felt like dear life. At least that’s how Nina felt as she could barely breath, holding Helen back.

This was certainly better than the last two Hannibal conceded as he shut the door. However, as his eyes found Will he frowned. Will didn’t look all that pleased by this outcome. Hannibal looked back at the girl holding onto Nina.

“Nina it’s been so horrible!” Helen insisted.

Nina was doing her best to hold Helen up as she leaned onto her more. She didn’t know what to do, she didn’t know what to say. Worse Hannibal was frowning. Something was wrong. It only took a moment more before Hannibal and Will were on them, tearing them apart. Nina let go as soon as Will yelled for her to, but Helen held on tighter.

There would be bruises, but as soon as Hannibal’s harpy scraped at Helen’s neck she let go, her hands up.

“What’s wrong?” Nina asked looking up at Will.

“Your friend is awfully clean,” Will said as he nudged Nina behind him. “She didn’t run through the woods to get here.”

“She’s not angry like Emily, and she’s not the sobbing mess the last one was,” Hannibal pointed out as he watched the girl he was holding onto. “Tell us young lady, how is it that you have managed to scrape by in such a condition.”

“He drove me here… he’s waiting outside…” Helen explained glaring up at the man holding her. “You took her. You planned to take her the moment she bumped into you.”

“Before that even,” Hannibal said giving her a very cruel grin.

“Are you two like him?” Helen accused more than asked as she looked pointedly at Nina’s neck as she peeked from behind Will, where more than one vivid hickey painted her skin. “Hurting girls barely old enough to say yes when we want to.”

“No, Nina is able to say no to our affections at any time,” Hannibal explained, “We will, and have stopped upon her word. Considering she was kidnapped, Nina has what you would find a surprising amount of say in what happens to her.”

“That doesn’t make any of this right,” Helen said, obviously speaking to Nina, who ducked her head.

“What were you told to do?” Will asked glaring at the girl. He didn’t trust this one. She’d obviously kept her wits about her. While she bore bruising around her wrists and neck, and her lip was definitely busted. There was no telling what she’d do.

“I was told to walk up, knock on the door, and try to convince you to let me stay,” Helen explained as she glared back at the man keeping Nina behind him. The one holding her had taken the knife from her neck but he still held her upper arm. “He said it didn’t really matter though.”

Chiyoh was there now with a rifle. Her shoes on. “I saw something moving outside the window,” she huffed keeping her gun trained on it.

“Why didn’t it matter?” Nina asked looking pained.

“I wasn’t exactly having tea with him Nina,” Helen snapped at her. After a deep, shaky, breath she said, “I didn’t ask, I was just trying to get away from him.”

“He’s watching us,” Will said pushing Nina to the wall. The last time he said that Hannibal had been shot. That had been before though. “This one is just a distraction.”

Hannibal was tempted to do away with the distraction, but Nina kept looking to her friend, and then looking up at him. She knew him well enough to know that her friend wasn’t any safer because she was away from Tony. Nina knew that just because she was safe with him, didn’t make her friends safe with him.

“Hannibal…” Nina called out his name. She wanted to stop him from what he was thinking. Will was keeping an eye on the windows, his gun out now. Nina resisted tugging at Will’s sleeve, she didn’t want to distract him anymore than she already was.

With an indulgent sigh Hannibal let go of Helen insisting, “It’s probably best the girls go upstairs. They’ll be easier to protect up there.” Looking to Chiyoh he told her, “While you can protect yourself, maybe the higher vantage point would give you more to work with should he enter the cabin.”

Chiyoh nodded and ushered the younger girls upstairs. Nina didn’t like this outcome either, but at least they didn’t put Helen back outside. Chiyoh stood just outside the door on the landing, Nina walked over sitting on the edge of the bed, and Helen walked over to sit in the chair at the little desk set in a little nook. It didn’t take long before Helen asked, “How could you stay with them? Let them do that?”

Nina frowned, her hands covering her neck for a moment. “I made a deal… that I’d give them a chance, and if I didn’t want to stay then on Saturday morning…” Nina turned suddenly looking at the clock on the bedside table before sighing, “Today, then today they were going to let me go…”

“Do you really believe that?” Helen asked looking at Nina as though she were naïve.

“No,” Nina sighed, “At least, they wouldn’t have let me go in any fashion that would have saw me home…” Nina realized a while ago that when they said they’d let her go they meant they’d kill her. She couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment right now, but she knew it nonetheless.

“Why would you let them touch you like that then?” Helen hissed the same way she would hiss when she found out Nina didn’t go home after ducking out of a party.

“Because…” Nina started, but didn’t know how to finish. “Because I wanted them to. I wanted to feel good…”

“One of them bit you,” Helen glowered.

“It didn’t hurt,” Nina mumbled looking at her hands in her lap. It hadn’t hurt when Hannibal bit her it felt distinctly the opposite. Maybe, considering what she learned tonight, it should have concerned her that his teeth had been that close to her neck, but it hadn’t hurt. There was no use in worrying about it now. “I don’t want to talk about this…”

“Did you even try to get away?” Helen asked shortly, her hands fisted against her knees.

“I thought about it, the first night, right after we made the deal about giving them a chance,” Nina breathed, “I still thought that maybe they’d let me leave though, so I went into the kitchen instead. When I was going back to my room Hannibal was already standing there and knew what I was doing. After that there was really no other choice but to go through with it on the slim chance they’d keep their word the way I wanted them to. Then… when I learned about Tony… I tried, I really tried… Hannibal was waiting outside the door though, and Will was out of the room in moments. I tried to help you.”

“Why not just call the police?” Helen asked as she stood up.

“I didn’t want to die,” Nina snapped back at Helen. “Emily knew who they really were, and I’m sure you do too. What part of calling the police does not suggest that they’d kill me?” Helen sat back down at that. Nina glared, “Just because I chose to stay, just because I trust Hannibal with his mouth near my throat does not mean I don’t wholeheartedly believe that he would still rip my heart out and eat it.” When Helen tried to speak Nina stopped her, “That’s what he told me he’d do if I betrayed them, if I told anyone what had really happened to me. Will wouldn’t do it so slow, but he’d still kill me if I was putting him and Hannibal in danger. Just because they like me doesn’t mean they won’t hurt me.”

Helen still went to say something until the loud sound of glass shattering sounded.

Nina shot up from her spot, her eyes wide as Chiyoh tried to aim from the banister. She couldn’t really see what was going on but she could hear the commotion, and Chiyoh was trying and trying to find an opening. A shot fired and Chiyoh was diving out of the way into the room as the banister seemed to just shatter near where Chiyoh had been standing. Another shot sounded after that.

“Nina stay away from the door,” Chiyoh insisted after she crawled back to her feet, cupping the younger girl’s cheek. “Hannibal and Will are doing just fine.”

Nina didn’t know that she believed Chiyoh, but she didn’t have time to question her because Chiyoh was back at the door taking aim again. No other shots came and Nina watched Chiyoh carefully until something pulled at her attention. Her eyes swung around to find Helen, only when she found her she could only see the top of her head over the bed. Walking over cautiously Nina expected to see Helen hiding, but that wasn’t the case. Well it wasn’t the way Nina expected. Helen was leaned over the phone whispering furiously to the person on the other end. Nina just heard “… Names are Will G…” and dove for the cord pulling it out of the wall near her.

“Nina!” Helen screeched glaring up at her. “What are you doing?!”

“What are you doing?!” Nina yelled back as she got on her knees and grabbed Helen’s shoulders. “Do you want to die?!”

“Do you?! I’m doing what you should have done a week ago!” Helen yelled shoving Nina away from her.

Chiyoh cursed before yelling down, “Hannibal! The police are coming!”

Nina climbed up to her feet, shoving them back into her shoes. While Will and Hannibal had kept theirs on, Will had made her take hers off when he was trying to get her to go to sleep. She dove for the door after that as Chiyoh moved down the stairs looking for an opening. What Nina saw below had her breath caught in her throat and her chest tightening. Blood painted all three men, but the gun was nowhere in sight. Hannibal abandoned his knife at that and knocked the kitchen knife from Tony’s hand. 

“Get an arm!” Hannibal ordered, as he grabbed onto Tony’s closest arm, judging by the sound the other man made, dislocating it. That gave Will the opening to grab the other. Both pulled and Chiyoh fired a shot, and the body between them slumped to the ground.

Even though it was supposed to be over it didn’t feel over Hannibal and Will were staring up at her. She could hear the door slam in the room signaling Helen fleeing into the bathroom. Chiyoh ran down the stairs telling the men, “The other girl called the police!” Nina was ready to go down to them but Hannibal’s eyes blazed and he was moving up the stairs so fast she didn’t know what to do but move out of his way. Will followed behind him, but Nina moved to see Will kick in the door.

Hannibal was on Helen in a second he held her face in his hands and asked what seemed quite simply, “What did you tell the police?”

Nina hovered by the door watching. Will abandoned watching and was zipping up their unpacked bags, getting things they’d left around the room. Helen whimpered.

“I will not ask again,” Hannibal told her, and Nina was thankful she couldn’t see his face.

“I said I had been kidnapped and people were killing each other downstairs. I was trying to tell them that someone else took Nina, but they didn’t understand and they weren’t listening!” Helen cried trying to push Hannibal away.

“Did you tell them our names?” Hannibal growled out his question.

“Nina stopped me before I could!” Helen yelled at him.

Hannibal looked back at Nina and she told him, “She said Will, but I don’t think she got out his last name…” She thought about pleading with Hannibal. She thought about pleading with Will when he set his hand on her shoulder. Nothing came out though as she looked at her friend. Then with the most sickening crack Nina felt hallow as Hannibal snapped Helen’s neck.

After he stood up and moved over to her Hannibal took her chin in his bloody hand and asked Nina, “Do you still want to come with us?”

“Yes,” Nina breathed even as she tried to blink away tears.

oOo

They had to take Chiyoh’s SUV, which Nina suspected was picked for just this instance. A lot of the luggage was stashed in front of the back seats, but some of it was in the trunk space which is where she was with Hannibal and Will. They were all tucked low and the glow of the now burning cabin was starting to fade. Chiyoh drove the speed limit, and Hannibal was carefully trying to access Will’s wounds with almost no light while Nina was curled out of the way, but she was almost certain there was a growing bloodstain on Hannibal’s thigh.

“Damn it Will, stay still!” Hannibal hissed as he shoved Will’s shirt up his body. “This is going to need stitches.” Hannibal told him as he shoved gauze over the wound and taped it up. “Chiyoh we have to get somewhere with more light than this or somewhere no one will notice the car all lit up.”

“There’s a small port town nearby,” Chiyoh told them, “but that’s still an hour away. Everything else is further.”

“We can’t take Nina anywhere,” Will breathed through his teeth. “She’s a missing person not a runaway.”

“We’re going to have to figure something out,” Hannibal insisted smacking Will’s hand away from him. “I’m not finished with you.”

Only everyone seemed to hold their breath as flashing lights and sirens started to fly by. Chiyoh pulled over to the side of the road until they passed, like a courteous driver, and then they continued on their way. Nina curled tighter in on herself her eyes staying on the two men who continued to try and look at each other’s wounds in the dark.

After a few more minutes Chiyoh asked, “Is Nina okay back there with you two?”

Both of their eyes found her and she tried to scoot further from them saying, “I’m fine.” It came out as more of a croak though, and Hannibal finally sat down taking Nina’s arm to pull her closer. She moved carefully closer and then over him to sit between the men. “You… you’re both…” They were hurt, and she wasn’t. All her friends were dead, and she wasn’t… Nina wanted to hold onto them, she wanted to be held, but she was afraid of hurting them more. Instead she curled in on herself and whimpered, “Everything is my fault.”


	18. The Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where I had to decide if I was wrapping it up, or if there was more to come, and there is more to come.

Chiyoh watched as Hannibal and Will practically smothered Nina. After the whole fiasco of getting both men patched up, they’d all crawled onto the bed closest to the bathroom and proceeded to pass out half naked. Nina to her credit had been trying to get into pajama’s but had only just gotten out of her clothes when Will and Hannibal emerged from the bathroom. Her undergarments were still in place and Hannibal and Will just dragged her onto the bed while she tried to protest…

Now they were all arms and legs.

Hands fisted in hair.

She’d have given them some privacy if things weren’t so dire.

She didn’t have the heart to wake them, but they’d have to work out how to get out of England, and soon. Instead she kept an eye on the news feed, and out the window, in case anything else came up.

It was passing noon when Chiyoh finally decided she’d have to get them something to eat. That meant finally waking the trio. She moved closer to the bed and softly called out, “Hannibal…”

He grumbled and held onto Nina more fiercely for a moment. It took whispering his name a couple more times before he opened his eyes to glare at her. His hands eased up on Nina who’d pressed closer to him, but one sought out Will, combing his fingers through the other man’s hair. “What Chiyoh?” Hannibal asked tiredly as he nuzzled at Nina.

“When you get up, you should look at the news…” Chiyoh said carefully as she noticed Nina’s eyes blink open. “For now I’m going to go get us some food.”

Hannibal hummed as Nina tensed against him, “Take your time.”

“Try not to scandalize the poor girl Hannibal,” Chiyoh said before she collected a purse she put together and left. She knew that eventually Hannibal would get up, and find what she had found, but she also knew that Nina was precious to him just like Will was. He’d want to explore the young girl even if only as much as she’d allow.

Hannibal moved back just enough to see Nina more fully. Will held her, stopping him from pulling her down onto her back but he knew she would not want to wake him so she wouldn’t go anywhere either. “Good Morning,” He greeted her smoothly, reaching a hand out to circle his fingers around the bite he left on the side of her belly.

“G’morning,” she returned carefully. Nina felt very raw. She realized she never really knew what that felt like before, before meeting them. She felt like there was a weight on her chest, and that Hannibal was burning her with his touch. She felt like she wanted to cry and scream at the same time. She wanted to burry herself against Hannibal, but she didn’t want to wake Will. Worse it looked like that might hurt him if she did. Bruises colored the skin over the sides of Hannibal’s ribcage vivid colors. Bandages wrapped his thigh, and gauze was taped to his arms like he was patchwork.

“Look at you getting all teary, just looking at me,” Hannibal smirked as he cupped her cheek.

“You look like a train wreck,” Will huffed against Nina’s hair.

“You required far more stitches than me,” Hannibal pointed out, only then Nina did start crying. He shifted back closer then. “Oh, oh, Little One,” he hushed her. He didn’t expect her to cry at his quip. Now, Hannibal expected her tears, but not at that. After all it was one thing to put her friends out the door like unwanted strays, it was another to snap their necks. Still here she was crying over some bruises and some stitching.

“But you’re both so hurt,” Nina whimpered, trying to curl in on herself. Will curled his arms around her more securely, but that didn’t make her feel any better. She could see the gaze wrapped around his arm. “I couldn’t do anything.”

“So sensitive,” Hannibal purred brushing his fingers along her cheek. “We’re going to heal.”

“But you shouldn’t have to,” Nina keened like a lost pup, “and something else is happening, Chiyoh practically told you so.”

Hannibal sighed as Will shot up to check the computer. He sat up as well, but he coaxed Nina closer instead. She moved over only to stop short of touching any part of him. Yes, because he was hurt, but also because she was practically naked… She’d bought underwear just for them to see, but here she was wearing the normal stuff she bought. Hannibal blew out an amused breath as he reached out and tucked back her wild bedhead hair.

Will didn’t know how to alarm Hannibal without yelling. He didn’t know how to do it without making Nina cry. He didn’t know how they were going to get out of the country with her. He didn’t know how they were going to get out of the country at all. “Fuck.” It was all he could manage.

Nina jolted, but Hannibal laced his fingers through her hair keeping her still. She whimpered as he pulled on her hair, bringing her closer. “What is it Will,” Hannibal asked grimly as he forced Nina to crawl closer to him, until her knees pressed against the side of his leg.

“The second girl… Anya. She lived,” Will breathed as he watched Hannibal, dread welling in his chest. “The police were talking her, she said she escaped. That Tony had them in the woods. That Nina had been taken by someone else… and Tony was trying to get her back…”

“Has she said who we are?” Hannibal asked as he kissed Nina’s forehead.

“It doesn’t say that she has,” Will said looking towards him. “Just our descriptions, they’re not very accurate, but it’d be enough to raise eyebrows. Draw attention. At least Freddie Lounds hasn't written about us, so if nothing else the news hasn't hit America if she has told.”

“Is Nina’s pretty face posted everywhere?” Hannibal asked as he kissed her cheek.

“Yes, and it says her parents are on their way,” Will told them as he left the computer to move over to the bed where Nina looked very teary eyed, but wasn’t outright crying. “There’s no way she’s making it out of the UK. Not with us.”

Hannibal frowned before finally letting go of Nina’s hair. She didn’t go anywhere, just sat back more. Will moved though so he sat on Nina’s other side. Nina sought Will’s hand, and he gripped hers comfortingly. Hannibal’s eyes fell to her neck and shoulders. Will’s marks on her were free of teeth, his there was the faint proof of canines. The one on her side was an honest to god bite mark though. “They’ll insist on sending her to a hospital… They’ll think she was raped,” Hannibal said as he reached out to brush his fingers against her stomach.

“You didn’t! Neither of you did! Nothing even hurt!” Nina insisted shaking her head.

Will caught on quicker though.

“She’ll have to shower…” Will muttered. “We’ll need to use the lint roller on her clothes.”

“What?” Nina asked looking at Will, completely confused. Then she looked back at Hannibal asking, “What are you two talking about?”

“You’re going to have to go home Nina,” Hannibal explained as he touched her cheek.

“N-no… no,” Nina shook her head, but they both looked very serious. “Please, I said I wanted to stay.”

Hannibal braced himself for the pain, but he still pulled Nina to him, getting her to sit astride his lap. “It’s not forever,” Hannibal told her before he pulled her down into a kiss. “We’ll come back for you.”

Will moved careful of his injuries behind Nina kissing her shoulder. They were both straddling Hannibal’s long legs now. “You’re ours now,” Will whispered behind her ear. “Our little girl.”

“We won’t leave you behind,” Hannibal breathed getting her to move up so her weight was on her knees. He licked from the hallow of her throat to under her chin. “You’ll just have to wait for us Little One.”

“I don’t want to wait,” Nina told them even as they kissed and licked, and sucked on her skin.

“Now, now,” Hannibal scolded as he looked up at her. “You’re going to be our good girl, and wait for us. You’re going to do everything we tell you to, and we’ll come get you as soon as we can.”

Will could feel her want to argue and instead unclasped her bra. Hannibal helped pull it from her and Will spoke against her shoulder blade, “You don’t get to leave us. You’re not really going back to them.”

One of Wills hands covered one of her breasts and Hannibal mouthed the other drawing out a gasp from her. She still tried to talk though, asking, “But… how am I going to pretend that you both hurt me?”

Hannibal sucked at one nipple before nosing away Will’s hand to get at the other. When Nina pulled carefully at his hair though he gave up her newly revealed flesh to Will’s hands saying, “You’re going to remember how alone and scared you were at first. You’re going to act like you didn’t want us. You’re going to say as little as possible.” Hannibal pulled her into a fierce kiss before telling her against her lips, “You’re going to act scared, and hurt, and tell them you can’t talk about it when you don’t know what to say. You’re going to pretend to be the little girl in the red cape.”

Will pulled Nina back against him, away from Hannibal, insisting, “You’re going to tell them that getting these marks was scary, and you didn’t like the way he bit you. That we didn’t stop when you told us to.”

“That’s not true,” Nina whimpered as Hannibal gripped her hips, even as they fit against Will’s, and she could feel him beneath his boxers.

“You’re going to pretend to be prey, not the little animal you really are,” Hannibal insisted as he pulled at her underwear. When she didn’t protest he pulled them the rest of the way down her legs, and dropped them off the side of the bed. “They’ll never know you belong to us,” Hannibal hummed as he pulled her back onto her knees, and to him.

“What if she told?” Nina asked against Hannibal’s neck as his fingers ghosted between her thighs.

“Then the least of our worries is going to be what you’ll say,” Will huffed as Hannibal pushed Nina into leaning forward more. Hannibal’s long fingers were parting and rubbing and slipping between her folds. Will reached out gripping her thigh, watching intently. “If she told, you’re still going to have to go. Just tell them you didn’t know our names. That we didn’t really talk to you. That you didn’t know what we wanted.”

Nina gasped and pushed against Hannibal’s hand. Her hands gripped Hannibal’s shoulders, and she kept her face hidden against his neck. Hannibal slipped a finger in her and she whimpered as her hips jerked and Will sucked in a breath. She didn’t know what else to do but press closer to Hannibal, until Will pulled her back.

Hannibal’s eyes were dark, and hard on Will who was holding Nina to his chest. “We can’t do this,” Will panted.

Nina squirmed around insisting breathlessly, “I want to, you don’t have to stop!”

When Hannibal went to take her back Will held tight saying, “If Anya told they might not believe we’d rape her. Which would make them suspicious of her. Even if they thought she was manipulated, she would have still participated. They would think she knows what she really does.”

“She already has marks on her,” Hannibal pointed out as he moved up off of the bed to get closer to them without putting strain on his leg wound. He deftly captured Will’s hand leading it between Nina’s legs to feel the wetness.

“We could have done that to egg Tony on,” Will huffed out as Nina squirmed and gasped against him.

“So you’d let her go wanting,” Hannibal asked with a wicked grin on his lips.

oOo

Will grunted as Hannibal led Nina’s hand up and down his length. With Nina already impaled on Hannibal’s this is how they decided to share. Nina sat facing Will who kissed her tenderly, a stark contrast to the sharp, purposeful movements of Hannibal’s hips and how his free hand guided her hips. Will’s hands tweaked her nipples ringing a ragged gasp from her. Her eyes slammed closed and she tried to still her hips and hand but Hannibal wasn’t having it.

“Keep touching Will, Little one,” He practically snarled before he let her go watching as she did as she was shown before he grabbed both of her hips and forced them into movement again. He wasn’t as gentle as he’d planned to be, but if her noises were anything to go off of she was enjoying her first time just the same. Will gave her the soft touches and gentle kisses he didn’t have the patience for right now. Like he’d said, what one wouldn’t give her surely the other would.

Nina gasped as Hannibal jerked her down on him. When Hannibal first pulled her down on top of him it had been uncomfortable, it hadn’t exactly hurt, but it hadn’t felt as good as this. It was hard to remember to keep touching Will, to keep pulling her hand up and down. She tried to set her strokes in time with what Hannibal was doing to her and that made Will pull her mouth to his feverishly. She could say anything. She could beg and plead like she’d read in questionable stories on the internet. She couldn’t scream like her friends claimed to when the guy was doing it just right. However, she did whimper, and her hips jerked against Hannibal’s hands.

“Touch her,” Hannibal ordered, catching Will’s eye. His own were dark and hard, Will’s were blown wide with lust and he didn’t quip about the demand. Will hand obediently relocated between Nina’s legs but both of them moaned when Will’s fingers instead explored where they were joined. “Damn it Will!” Hannibal seethed, his hands turning bruising on Nina’s hips.

Will feigned surprise, “Language Dr. Lecter, this is one ceiling you’re going to want to stay standing.” It didn’t stop his fingers from exploring tracing the tight seal of Hannibal joined with Nina. “She must be so tight, and soft, and wet,” Will teased Hannibal before pressing his lips to Nina’s ear telling her, “And you have Hannibal’s nice, big, hard cock buried deep inside you hmm? Feel’s good huh?”

Nina’s hand tightened on Will as he spoke but he clicked his tongue at her and pinched her thigh. She softened her touch, and managed to nod but that didn’t seem to please them enough. Hannibal snapped at Will before saying, “I couldn’t hear you Nina.”

She gasped out something akin to “please” making herself a liar, but this time when Hannibal pulled her down roughly he didn’t keep moving. Even Will’s hand between her legs stilled. 

“Do we need to stop?” Hannibal asked cruelly against Nina’s neck, “Tie you to that chair over there while me and Will finish?”

Nina almost couldn’t remember what she was supposed to say, but when he abruptly pulled her off him Nina cried out, “Yes, yes it feels good!” She couldn’t manage to crane her neck to look at Hannibal, so Will got her pleading look as she panted, “Please don’t stop…”

Hannibal nearly slammed her back down his length his mouth finding her neck. He was careful of his teeth now, even as Nina pushed and squirmed and started to pump Will faster. They were all wound so tight that he was only slightly surprised when Will grunted coming into Nina’s hand. It set them off like a chain reaction and Nina cried out, shuddering around Hannibal, pulling him over the edge too.

oOo

Will held Nina as they stood in the shower together. Hannibal was calling Chiyoh, telling her she could come back, because they’d need her to drop Nina off somewhere in the woods outside of the town. They’d told Nina what to do, but first this. She was tired, and immediately teary when she saw the extent of his injuries without bandages over them. Hannibal expressly forbid him from standing directly under the spray, and Nina blocked him from it, not letting him go against the other man if he wanted to.

He’d scrubbed her hair out, and in a moment he’d get out to let her wash her body and any of their DNA off her. He looked down at her asking, “Is that what you really wanted?”

Nina nodded. “I don’t regret that.” In fact she wished that she and Will could have done it too, but she knew they didn’t have time to start that. Chiyoh would come back, take her back to the woods, and Nina was to run as far and hard as she could into them, in a more or less straight line. Get as dirty as possible, get scraped up, but try not to hurt herself too much, and then find her way out and into town. By then they’d be somewhere else, and she’d be found, and reunited with her parents as soon as possible. She’d be taken back to London, but she’d probably be allowed to go home soon.

“Did it hurt?” Will asked unwilling to get out yet.

“No, it felt weird at first, but then it felt really good,” Nina spoke against his skin. “Did you feel left out?”

Will chuckled, and shook his head, “No, it felt really good to have you and Hannibal touch me.”

Nina smiled for a moment before she frowned saying, “You two won’t forget me will you?”

“Never,” Will told her when she looked up at him. Then he caught her lips.


	19. Home Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think every one should expect updates every two weeks now, but if I can I'll still do every week.

“Nina! Oh my little girl!” Nina found herself back in London curtesy of a nonstop flight sitting next to a woman police officer who had tried her best to bond with Nina. Nina had made small talk, if only because the officer wouldn’t talk about an active investigation on a plane full of people. For most of the ride she’d slept or pretended to. Before she’d gotten on the plane, just not talking had worked. She mumbled out her name, but anything that she had to think about too long she just shook her head.

Now her mother had her smashed against her in a hospital, because they’d just finished looking her over. Her parents had some of her clothes from home, so at least she wasn’t in some patient gown. Nina just stood there trying not to cry, even if crying might have been the right thing to do. She wouldn’t be crying for the right reasons though.

No doubt the doctor was telling her father a toned down version of her “injuries”. She didn’t view them as such, but they certainly did.

There was a cop behind her mom waiting to take them to the station. No doubt they’d ask her questions, and they wouldn’t be able to leave until she answered them. Nina had been trying to think of what to say this entire time. What happened to her. How she got out of the cabin. Why she’d been at the cabin in the first place. How someone else got her… What she was going to say to Anya who was around here somewhere. What she was going to say about Anya who was around somewhere. Maybe at the station. Maybe in a hotel. Still definitely in London.

How much did she lie about?

She’d been warned of names that would surely mean that Anya had told. Jack Crawford, Alana Bloom might work the case, and a tabloid journalist by the name of Freddie Lounds would no doubt be slinking around. In the event of Jack Crawford she was still not to jump to conclusions. He might simply be doing his job and he wouldn’t be there for them. Will and Hannibal had suggested she tell most of the truth so she didn’t have to make anything up…

That meant outing Anya as one of the people who hid her actual kidnapping. That she’d been kidnapped before Tony proved to be a harem gathering/murdering scumbag, and that Anya was the only one left to blame that no one had been looking for her before that happened. With the police looking at them maybe Tony wouldn’t have had the opportunity…

Then Nina was crying.

She was crying because Anya lived.

She was crying because Anya lived, and knew she lived, and ruined everything!

Nina clung to her mom, but she really wanted to cling to Hannibal, and then Will would come up and hold her too. Instead her father hovered…

When she finally calmed back down, wiping at her cheeks and eyes the officer offered to drive them to the station. Her father and mother agreed, and Nina found herself along for the ride.

oOo

 

Some days later Nina sat on yet another flight. Nina got her things back, and was just thankful to have her iPod so she didn’t have to talk to her parents anymore. When they were alone they tried to ask if she wanted to talk about anything that happened to her. While they were less alone they tried to talk about London. How was she supposed to talk about London when the best time she’d had was with Will and Hannibal? How was she supposed to talk about what happened to her when the worst thing that had happened they’d saved her from. She let her head lean against the window, looking at the clouds. No one said anything about them though, so they were hopefully safe. Nina had skewed the truth just enough, and viciously ratted out Anya and everyone who was now dead for just letting her be kidnapped. For telling no one that she’d “run away” when she didn’t.

_“We’d snuck out… and I was given a drink at the bar… The next thing I remember is waking up in a house… with them,” Nina said keeping her eyes on her hands as she sat in an office in the police station. Her parents were being kept busy in a different office. “I didn’t even know my friends were missing until… after I was at the cabin.”_

Nina took Will’s threat of what would have happened if she called the police and ran with it. She spent any travel time in a trunk. She didn’t mention Chiyoh, they didn’t ask if anyone else was involved, so she said they were at a house instead of the hotel and omitted Chiyoh entirely. She said she did whatever she was told. That she didn’t know what else to do. Just in case they knew she’d been out and about with Hannibal and Will.

At the time she’d been sure that the people she’d been warned of were just going to pop out of the woodwork.

_“What happened at the cabin?”_

Nina shook her head, and shoved her chair back, and she hadn’t known what to say, but apparently she just looked scared and small. Not for the reasons she felt those things. She ended up saying that her kidnappers kept her away from Emily, that she tried to help Anya instead of making her go back to the man that was hurting her, even though Nina didn’t know if her kidnappers were any better, but they didn’t like that…

_“What about Helen?”_

Closing her eyes on the sky Nina ran over it again. What really happened, and what she said happened. How Helen had held onto her…

_“They let Helen in… and Tony came in right after…”_

How they’d been taken upstairs… the phone call… Nina knew that couldn’t be a part of her story.

_“I was scared… I-I ran, there was a bedroom downstairs and I went in there. Helen ran by, going upstairs… I don’t, I don’t know what happened after that… when they came and got me Tony was dead and one of them was pouring the fluid for the grill everywhere.”_

Then back to the trunk. Her mom reached over and touched her hand and Nina jolted. Her mom’s hand flew away… They thought she was scared of being touched. Right now she’d just been shaken from her thoughts. Times before this, well, they just weren’t the ones Nina wanted comfort from. They thought she was damaged… especially after how she handled it.

_“Where’d you go after that?” The question was hesitant._

_Nina sucked in a breath before answering shortly, “A motel.”_

_“What happened there?” That question was just as halted from the female officer._

_“Nothing!” Nina snapped. She wouldn’t say it. She couldn’t say they’d hurt her like that._

_“Nina we know…”_

_“Nothing happened!” Nina shouted, cutting the woman off. She wondered if victims of rape acted like this. She didn’t know how else to act though._

_The officer put her hands up saying, “It’s okay, we don’t have to talk about what happened at the hotel.”_

Then it happened. The officer asked how she got away.

_“I didn’t…” Nina told her. She’d been thinking about it the whole time. It didn’t make sense to get away. Not after all that time. Not when she didn’t want to die, so she was doing what she was told. “They put me back in the trunk, but this time when I got out we were in the woods. The one with curly hair pointed a gun at me, and told me to run… I did, but he never shot… I guess, I guess they were getting rid of me.”_

She was talked to more and more officers and Nina tried to retell it the same every time, but not in the exact same words. Each time they got to the motel though Nina wouldn’t talk about it. Wouldn’t say it. She couldn’t. One of the officers said it for her and Nina just shrank down. She nodded, but didn’t say anything.

After they realized that Nina had been kidnapped days before everyone else thought she’d been kidnapped, all plans to reunite the friends ended. Nina hadn’t seen Anya since that night, and Nina didn’t care at all. At least she hadn’t ratted out Hannibal and Will. Nina thought that would change, but Anya just upped the lie saying Tony got Emily’s mother to tell them to pretend to be Nina for her parents. That it was Tony’s idea to not tell anyone she ran away because they really thought she’d run away.

It might have been true, but Nina doubted it. They’d all been pissed at her in those messages. They all agreed to it except maybe Helen… Maybe if it was Helen Nina would have tried to agree it was Tony. In the end though, when they all realized that she’d been fine the whole time, Nina knew they couldn’t ever be friends again…

This time when her mom’s hand settled on hers Nina didn’t flinch. She did look at her mom, and pulled an earbud from her ear. Her mom didn’t seem to know what to say. “I’m going to be okay,” Nina mumbled.

“You will be,” her mom agreed nodding quickly.

Nina mustered up a smile even if it wobbled pitifully. Maybe if she just moved away instead of being kidnapped again, she’d be able to contact her parents. It’d be horrible to put them through this again…

oOo

Two months later Nina frowned as a woman sat across from her at a coffee shop her parents had reluctantly let her go to. Her red curls gave her away instantly and Nina held her breath as she waited for the woman to talk. When she didn’t say anything Nina glared even as she took a cautious breath.

“Nina Heart?” Freddie asked when the girl wouldn’t talk.

“Freddie Lounds.” Nina said the woman’s name shortly. The first time she left the house alone in two months and this woman showed up like a target seeking missile.

“Oh,” Freddie said her eyes widening. “You know who I am?”

“It’s really distasteful to make light of rape and murder by calling a serial rapist/murderer a one-night stand,” Nina insisted her glare even more heated. Nina had looked into all of the people she’d been warned about. Freddie was vile. Not to mention she made things so difficult for Will when he probably still could have been saved from Hannibal. Towards Hannibal she’d just been plain rude. Nina had found the story and information about her faked murder, and thought it rather a shame that Will hadn’t really killed her.

The only consolation was that the woman looked utterly speechless.

She must have known the details of her kidnapping.

“I’m sorry for what happened to you,” Freddie said carefully.

“You can’t be too sorry if you’re here to exploit me for it,” Nina said as she started to gather her things. She’d still have to walk home, but it’d be better than talking to her. From what she could tell Freddie was not from Las Vegas, Nina doubted she’d make it in the hundred degree weather that was a typical Las Vegas summer.

“I’m not here to exploit you,” Freddie said as she hurried after the girl, her heels clicking on the tile and then the sidewalk as Nina made it outside. “Are you really going to make me walk after you in this heat?”

“I would prefer if you refrained from following me,” Nina huffed getting the other strap of her backpack in place.

“I want to help you tell your story,” Freddie told her as she walked behind Nina who refused her the space to walk next to her.

“You’re in Las Vegas I’m sure you can find something better to write about,” Nina insisted a little smug that Freddie was already out of breath. That skirt suit must have been made for more mild weather. Those heels were definitely not for walking, but she was keeping up.

“You were abducted overseas, and no one knew until your friends were taken as well,” Freddie insisted, “Did you know that no one was looking for you?”

“No comment,” Nina snarled. She’d readily practiced that when she’d gotten off the plane to a couple of reporters. They’d given up earlier in the week. Now here was this woman. At least she didn’t seem to know about Will or Hannibal still being alive.

“One of your friends survived her abductor, have you seen her since you both got back to the states?” Freddie asked.

“No comment,” Nina said as she darted across the empty street despite it technically being J-walking the light a little way up was red though. Freddie kept after her, but at least she didn’t have to stop at the light now.

“She says you won’t even talk to her online,” Freddie insisted, smiling when Nina whirled around to look at her.

Nina opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it, turned back around, and continued to walk. It was best not to get into it with this woman. Let her say or write whatever she wanted. The crimes committed against her were overseas, the authorities over here had no standing to investigate them. It’d all go away with time.

“Anya said that you were being fought over, like some kind of coveted prize,” Freddie continued, trying to get a rise out of the girl. She felt like she almost had Nina, but this time she didn’t even spare her a backwards glance. “She said it seemed like you didn’t have it that bad.”

Nina bit her lip, but she didn’t reply. Just kept walking. She thought about how Will should have done what Hannibal wanted him to. Whatever it had been. Gotten rid of this woman.

“She was being raped, and you were getting hickeys,” Freddie told her. “My sources said that you wouldn’t even utter the word rape.”

Nina thought about turning and decking the woman.

Hannibal wouldn’t have approved.

Will wouldn’t outwardly approve, but she imagined him squeezing her hand to show her it was alright with him.

“You let a killer mouth at your throat!” Freddie almost shouted as Nina started to turn a corner.

Nina turned on her, glaring. She couldn’t say what she wanted, but she did pack as much venom in her voice as she could when she said, “I just wanted to live, I did what they wanted me to.”

“Anya said that she was told by the man who took her that the men who took you were cannibals,” Freddie fished as she watched Nina clench and unclench her fists.

Nina breathed out an amused laugh before she turned and kept walking. She wasn’t going to be a part of this. She didn’t know anything, and Nina had largely said that she didn’t know anything about the people who took her. What was the point of arguing with this woman in that case?

“Nina, aren’t you upset that no one is going to be looking for them? The British police will probably stop looking soon since no one is there to get on their case,” Freddie insisted, when the cannibal remark didn’t get a noteworthy reaction “Your story is going to fade into obscurity. They’ll never be caught.”

Nina huffed, “I don’t care who they were, what they did, or if they’re found, I just want to be left alone.”

“What if they come back for you?” Freddie asked grabbing Nina’s shoulder to get the girl to turn and look at her.

“They didn’t want me anymore lady,” Nina said, her voice dead calm. Her worst fears bubbled under the surface at her own words. “Too much trouble with my face everywhere. I don’t know what they wanted me for, but they couldn’t do it with that much attention on me.” They weren’t going to come back for her, especially not if her name remained in the headlines.

“You shouldn’t protect them,” Freddie said releasing Nina immediately when the girl actually turned to look at her. The girls eyes were practically cutting into her they were so sharp. A fear she hadn’t felt in a long time flared up. “…They hurt you.”

“I expected them to,” Nina said stepping forward as Freddie stepped back, “What I didn’t expect was to come home to people like you tormenting me over it.” She kept her voice even, her eyes hard. “You flip-flop like a fish out of water. First I’m a victim, then I’m a bad friend and I wanted it, now you’re worried for me and I shouldn’t protect them. Make up your damned mind.”

“You… remind me of someone,” Freddie said stepping back again.

“Someone else you harassed?” Nina asked before she turned and ran. She couldn’t do this anymore. She was never coming out of her house again. Not until Freddie Lounds wrote an article about something happening out of state. Why was she even here? Just because of her and Anya?


End file.
